Memoirs of a Plegian Strategist
by Jenna Riedell
Summary: All Ilina had to do was deliver a package - nowhere did it say that she'd join the front lines of Ylisse's war effort with Prince Chrom's blessing. And the worst part is that she can't remember what happened to land her in that situation. Fire Emblem: Awakening with the protagonist's memories mostly intact
1. Chapter 1

_WHEEEE AUTHORS' NOTES. This is a short one – I promise. This is NOT a novelization of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Why?_

_1)_ "_Robin" isn't the protagonist (and I put that name in quotes because it's better than calling her "the Avatar")._

_2) Ilina, the actual protagonist of this little thing, has her memory mostly intact, and she doesn't start off as a badass (I honestly don't know what my deal is with writing wimpy protagonists, sorry)._

_3) How do I put this in the least spoilery way possible? Hmm… I'm not considering the SpotPass paralogues as canon in this, so that particular set of characters won't be present._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Her entire body was shaking, though whether from fear or excitement, she didn't know. All she knew was that the tall, dark-skinned, dark-haired man before her sent cold waves of fear and terror coursing through her, and that the blue-haired man fighting him made her feel safe and calm. She clutched her mother's staff tightly, raising it and casting a spell almost subconsciously before the dark-skinned man struck the blue-haired man.

The blue-haired man barely stumbled from the blow, thanks to the purplish barrier forming in front of him, and she didn't so much run to him as let her feet carry her there. "Chrom!" The name seemed to claw its way out of her throat, regardless of the jumbled mess that was currently her mind.

"I'm all right," the blue-haired man choked out. She released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding as he pointed his sword at the dark-skinned man, and she clutched her tome tightly as she stepped behind him. Chrom glanced at her over his shoulder. "Are you ready?" She nodded, though she didn't feel ready in the slightest. "Come. Let's make a future our children can be proud of."

Ah, so this Chrom was her husband, and they had more than one child waiting for them. Though she couldn't, for the life of her, wonder when she'd had children, or when she'd married, or when she'd met this Chrom in the first place. Still, she nodded. "R-Right."

The dark-skinned man laughed, and a shiver ran down her spine. "Why do you resist?" he asked in a low voice. "You cannot erase what has already been written!"

Chrom released a yell as he charged toward the dark-skinned man, brandishing his sword. He swung at the man, and was rewarded with a blast of dark magic. She waved her arm as he fell, sending a wave of thunder magic shooting at the dark-skinned man. Chrom visibly relaxed and smiled triumphantly at her as the dark-skinned man fell to his knees. "This isn't over…" the dark-skinned man growled as darkness began to swirl around him. Chrom whirled around to face him as the dark-skinned man staggered to his feet. "Damn you both!"

She moved on instinct as an orb of dark energy hurdled towards them, shoving Chrom out of the way with all the strength she could muster. The dark magic hit her square in the chest, and pain radiated through her body. Whether she screamed or not, she could only guess. All she knew was that she was falling, that the pain was quickly disappearing, and that Chrom was safe and unharmed.

"Ilina!"

Ah, so that was her name.

One of Chrom's arms was around her shoulders, propping her up, and the other grasped her hand tightly. Behind him, she could see the darkness – and the dark-skinned man – disappearing altogether. "That's the end of him," Chrom sighed. "We can rest easy now." Suddenly, her vision was filled with red, and burning, searing pain filled her head. As if from far away, she heard her staff and tome falling to the ground as she put both her hands on her head. Chrom looked to her. "What's wrong?" Red pulsated through her vision, and her head swam. "Ilina—" There was a spike of tremendous pain, and it was as if something was shoving her aside in her mind. "Hang on!" The next thing she knew, he was lifting her off the ground. Her body grew almost unbearably cold, and she was falling once again.

Only this time, a sort of dagger made of thunder magic was protruding from Chrom's chest, and thunder magic crackled in her own hands. "No…" she whispered as she scrambled over to him.

Chrom grasped her wrists tightly, his face growing pale. "This is not your… your fault…" he grunted. His grip grew weaker by the second. "Promise me… you'll escape from this place… Please… go…" His hands slipped off of hers as he keeled over. She could barely hear the dark-skinned man laughing over her own screaming…

… and then her eyes fluttered open, only to see Chrom himself hovering above her, along with a girl with blonde pigtails. "Ch-Chrom…"

"Oh gods, we thought you were dead!" the girl wailed.

"Are you all right?" Chrom asked gently. Ilina could feel his hand on her back as he propped her up. Actually, it was just like…

"No!" she shrieked suddenly as she shoved him away, backing away from him. If she wasn't careful, she'd…

But then she hit something hard, and when she looked up, she could see a tall, brown-haired man in a suit of armor. "Milord, perhaps we should take her to the nearest medic," he said stiffly.

"Hey, it's all right," the girl said gently, crouching down in front of her. "We won't hurt you."

But it wasn't that – it wasn't that at all. Chrom simply smiled and stretched his hand out to her. "Here."

For reasons she didn't understand, she took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. "Th-Thank you…"

"All right, so what was it?" the girl asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Bandits? Brigands? Violent merchants with overpriced goods?"

"What milady means to ask is how you ended up in this situation," the armored man clarified.

"I…" But Ilina's mind hit a wall. "Wh-What…? How did I…?"

"Why don't you start with your name?" Chrom suggested.

"Ilina," she answered easily; despite the overwhelming confusion and disorientation, at least she could recall her own name.

"Hey, I know you!" the girl gasped. "You're that flower girl!"

"'Flower girl'?" Chrom echoed. He tilted his head to the side as he stared at her, and his eyebrows furrowed. "You…"

"Well…" Ilina said slowly. "My mother and I run a flower shop in Ylisstol. Although… I don't recall meeting any of you."

"And yet you can easily recall milord's name," the armored man said dryly. "Can you provide any proof of identification?"

"My mother can…" Ilina started. She placed her hand under her chin and frowned contemplatively. "No, that's not good enough… Hmm…"

Chrom sighed. "Regardless, it wouldn't do to leave her here, alone and confused. What kind of Shepherds would we be then?"

"Shepherds…?" Ilina echoed. "Wait, do you know…?" But her mind was already racing forward too quickly for her to completely follow, and a flood of memories came back in a rush. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "P-Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa?"

The girl – how could she not have noticed that it was the princess? – simply giggled. "That's us!"

Ilina immediately dipped into the most polite curtsey she could manage. "F-Forgive my dreadful manners, your grace."

Chrom simply chuckled. "No need for such formalities," he said. "Just 'Chrom' is fine."

"B-But I…" Ilina stammered. "A-And after you…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Lissa said cheerfully. "Anyone would be jumpy after… After…" She trailed off as she frowned in confusion. "What happened to you, anyway?"

Ilina sighed; she'd _really_ hoped she wouldn't have to explain this. "I'm sorry… I don't know why, but… I-I can't really… remember… what happened after I left home." Her satchel was still intact, with enough money to sustain herself, so it was safe to assume that she hadn't been attacked by bandits or brigands… But if it wasn't them who'd attacked her, then who was it? Her head was starting to throb, and she pressed a hand against her forehead to stave it off.

"Maybe you _do_ need a medic," Chrom said. "Once we get to town, we can—"

"Chrom, look!" Lissa cried suddenly. "The town!"

In the distance, Ilina could see clouds of smoke rising into the air – from burning buildings, no doubt. "Frederick, Lissa, let's go!" Chrom said, and the three of them took off immediately.

Ilina sighed as she bent down to pick up her mother's staff. _I should help them_, she told herself. _… but I'll just get in their way…_ Still, for reasons she didn't understand, she ran after them, as quickly as her feet would carry her.

* * *

Chrom, Lissa, and the armored man Frederick had their weapons (and staff, in Lissa's case) brandished. "Wait!" Ilina cried as she finally caught up with them, panting. "Let me help. If there's anything I can…"

Chrom eyed her staff almost suspiciously. "So you know magic, then?"

"Only a little," Ilina admitted. "But…" One bandit approached Chrom from behind, brandishing his axe. With the way his arm was raised, it didn't look like he had a very high chance of hitting Chrom at all. But somewhere along the way, when the axe was hurdling through the air, heading straight for Chrom, Ilina panicked and raised her staff in the air, and a purplish light surrounded Chrom. The axe, surprisingly, made its mark, though it barely hurt Chrom at all.

"Here, sheepy…" the bandit snarled. "Come to slaughter!"

"Oh no…" Lissa whimpered as she raised her own staff to heal Chrom's wounds. "This is really bad!"

"He's not very heavily armed," Ilina said as she stared at the bandit. "His armor consists of just the clothes on his back, and the only weapon he has is that axe of his…" She stepped on it before the bandit could get to it. "And he doesn't appear to be in the healthiest condition himself. I mean, you could easily kill him in—" Frederick ran his lance directly through the bandit. "… one strike," Ilina finished lamely.

"So you understood all of that from just looking at him?" Chrom asked, sounding impressed.

"I…" It wasn't like she'd done anything special, after all.

"It appears that you are not quite as helpless as you say you are," Frederick said stiffly.

"Isn't that a good thing, though?" Lissa asked. "But why are bandits coming to _Southtown_, of all places? There's nothing here!"

"Did you notice, milord?" Frederick asked. "The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."

"I can't take this anymore!" Lissa grumbled. "Every single time, it's the poor townsfolk who suffer…"

"They do have us, milady," Frederick told her. "Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger; it will cloud your judgment."

Lissa sighed irritably. "I know, I know…"

For the next few hours, they helped repair some of the damage the bandits had done to Southtown, and by the end, Ilina was absolutely exhausted. She sank into a bench after she was done with her duties (Frederick, Chrom, and even Lissa had insisted on doing the more strenuous work), sighing as she let her staff rest on her lap. And then, she let her mind wander.

Why did she dream of Chrom and herself fighting some sorcerer? Why was she fighting _at all_, when she could barely use her mother's staff to defend herself? Why did Chrom place so much trust in her, little more than a civilian, when he had the rest of the Shepherds available to fight by his side?

_You're overthinking this. It was nothing more than a fantasy you concocted – a fantasy where you did more with your life, where you were more important than you are now._

… but why would a fantasy end with her _killing_ Chrom? With thunder magic, no less, when she barely knew how to use her own staff?

Surprisingly, Chrom chose to sit next to her not too long afterward. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Ilina replied. "Just tired."

"Will you be able to start traveling tonight?" he asked her.

"Tonight?" Ilina echoed. "I-I was going to stay at an inn tonight and leave tomorrow morning…"

"Yes," Chrom said, nodding once. "However, the roads have been dangerous, as of late. Considering the condition in which we found you, it wouldn't do to have you make the journey back without assistance."

Ilina sucked in a breath and clutched her staff tightly; sure, she still felt rather disoriented and even slightly ill, but that was no reason for Chrom to go out of his way to help her. "Th-Thank you, but—"

"Not to mention, you aren't in much of a condition to travel at all, let alone travel alone," Chrom continued. "I'm sure you'd be more comfortable visiting a medic closer to your own home, correct?"

Ilina sighed. Everything Chrom was saying was absolutely true, and she could only think that she must have done something amazingly noble to earn such kindness from him. "I wouldn't want to slow you down," she whispered.

"But we can't exactly leave you in good conscience," Chrom retorted, smiling. "You can even ride on Frederick's horse if you feel too exhausted to walk."

Ilina couldn't help but smile at that. "Thank you, sire. I don't think I will ever be able to repay your kindness."

Chrom chuckled. "If anything, I am repaying _you_ for your assistance today."

Frederick approached them on horseback, with Lissa sitting in front of him. "Shall we set out, milord?"

Chrom looked to Ilina. "Ready?"

Ilina just smiled and nodded.

* * *

Ilina woke up to whispering voices. "Something is amiss," Chrom said.

"Define 'something,'" Lissa retorted.

"I'm not sure… I think I'll have a look around."

Ilina sat up gingerly, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Wh-What happened?"

Frederick stirred next to her, lifting his head only slightly to look at Chrom. "Milord?"

"Frederick, something might be wrong," Lissa almost whimpered, looking more subdued than Ilina had ever seen her.

"If you wish to scour the perimeter, milord, then allow me to accompany you," Frederick said as he stood up, his armor clunking around as he did so.

"And leave Lissa and Ilina defenseless?" Chrom asked.

"That's why we're coming, too!" Lissa said.

"But—" Chrom tried protesting.

"It's all right," Ilina said as she stood up and dusted her skirt off. "I want to help."

And nothing was there – everything was dark, and the woods were empty, and no matter how far they walked, there was nothing but trees, grass, and endless sky. But then there was this strange, oppressive feeling that Ilina just couldn't shake off, despite Chrom and Frederick's calming presence. "Does the air feel… heavy to you?"

"I feel it, too…" Lissa mumbled.

"Something is wrong here…" Chrom mused, stopping and reaching for his sword experimentally.

Frederick, however, had no such qualms, as he was just a short step away from outright swinging his lance around. "Reveal yourself!"

At that, the ground began to shudder, and Lissa and Ilina screamed. "Gods!" Chrom cursed. "What is this madness?"

"Milord!" Frederick yelled as he pointed toward a group of trees a little ways away. The ground was cracking, half of it rising, and a wall of fire burst out from the crack.

"Everyone, run!" Chrom ordered. Without warning, he grabbed Ilina's hand and began to drag her behind him, as Lissa and Frederick ran ahead of them. Around them, flaming rocks were falling, and it wasn't until they jumped off a ledge that they were at least relatively safe.

Ilina sank to her knees in exhaustion, panting. "Wh-What _was_ that?"

"Is everyone unharmed?" Frederick asked.

"Chrom, what _is_ that?" Lissa was pointing towards the sky, where there was a giant flash of light. A glowing bluish circle appeared, and several figures fell from it. Something that sounded like growling filled the air, and a shiver ran down Ilina's spine.

Chrom drew his sword, and Frederick had his lance at the ready. "Lissa, Ilina," Chrom said urgently, "you'd better stand back!" The figures that fell from the circle staggered towards them, their glowing red eyes drifting everywhere.

"Th-They're strong…" Ilina whispered as she stared intently at one. "Much stronger than the bandits back in Southtown. They're heavily armed, and they don't seem… human…"

"Frederick!" Chrom barked.

"On your mark, milord," the knight answered.

Chrom gave a yell as he swung his sword at one of the creatures, and Ilina winced as it swerved cleanly out of the way. Frederick followed up with an attack of his own, and though his lance hit the creature, it only served to knock the creature off its feet. Chrom leapt upward, stabbing his sword downward, and the creature disappeared into wispy black smoke.

Ilina sighed in relief, but then another cornered her and Lissa, forcing them to back up to a rocky wall. Ilina stood in front of Lissa, her staff raised as she conjured a too weak barrier that would only barely reduce the damage the creature's weapons would cause, at best. The creature raised its weapon, and Ilina squeezed her eyes shut as she grasped her staff tightly, hoping the barrier would be enough to protect them, even though she knew for a fact that it wouldn't be.

But the blow never came. Instead, there was the sound of clashing metal. In the end, her curiosity overcame her fear, and she opened her eyes slowly to look at what exactly stopped the blow. In front of her was a rather thin boy with dark blue hair and a red cape, standing with his blade locked against the creature's. He jerked his head in Chrom's direction. "Help!"

"Right!" Ilina heard Chrom say over everything else that was going on. Chrom yelled once more as he charged toward the creature, distracting it as the boy before her drew his blade away slightly. They twirled their blades in perfect unison and slashed at the creature, destroying it.

And then, all was quiet. Lissa grabbed Ilina's arm to steady herself, and Ilina found herself leaning on Lissa to stand, as her shaking legs threatened to give out under her at a moment's notice. Their savior – Ilina realized just now that he was wearing a mask that covered his eyes – turned away and sheathed his sword. "Quite an entrance," Chrom said almost nonchalantly.

But there was something about the boy that Ilina couldn't quite put her finger on. She felt… _comfortable_ around him, almost as if… "Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked before she could stop herself. The boy merely looked in her direction, but refused to say a word, and Ilina tightened her grip on her staff self-consciously. "Um… Th-Thank you so much for saving us."

"Milord! Milady!" Frederick's horse galloped towards them, his expression frantic. "I've managed to dispatch of the rest of those… things… in the perimeter. Are you unharmed?"

"Yeah, thanks to this guy!" Lissa said excitedly, gesturing toward the masked boy.

"You have my gratitude for saving my sister and friend's lives," Chrom told him. "My name is Chrom. May I ask yours?"

The boy paused, and Ilina could swear that he looked briefly in her direction. "You may call me Marth."

"Marth?" Ilina echoed. "After the hero-king?"

"Well, you certainly fight like a hero, at any rate," Chrom said. "Where did you learn to use a sword like that?"

"I'm not here to talk about myself," the boy snapped, his voice cracking. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

"Huh?" Lissa shrieked. "What's teetering where now?"

"Wait!" Ilina called as Marth walked away.

"I wager we'll hear his name again," Frederick said in a low voice.

Ilina could only sigh as Marth seemed to disappear into a copse of trees, unable to shake off the feeling that there was something about him that was seriously wrong.

* * *

_I am the noob to end all Fire Emblem noobs. I didn't know Fire Emblem was a thing until I played Super Smash Bros. And then my first foray into the series was the newest game. I'm doing my best to compensate with research, though. If you don't mind all of that, and you cared enough to finish this whole chapter, please review! _


	2. Chapter 2

Ilina carefully arranged the flowers in the wagon, ready to leave at a moment's notice. "Ilina, are you sure you feel well enough to work today?" her mother asked from behind the counter at the front of the store.

"I'm _fine_, Mother," Ilina replied with only the tiniest hint of irritation. It was one thing to return home in the middle of the night; it was another to be accompanied by the prince and princess of the halidom. And it was yet another for Chrom to explain everything that had happened – even the circumstances in which he found her – in meticulous detail and to apologize profusely for putting her in danger. Her mother spent the next day dragging her from medic to medic, and none of them found anything wrong on a physical level. The day after that, Ilina was forced to remain in bed for the entire day, where she did little more than sleep (a warm, soft bed felt amazing after sleeping in the back of a carriage and on the cold forest floor) and read. And all the while, her mother refused to stop asking her if she was all right.

Her mother sighed harshly, the frown lines on her forehead prominent as she furrowed her brow. "I knew I shouldn't have sent you on that delivery."

"What's a wedding without flowers?" Ilina retorted as she smoothed out her dress and picked up the handles of her wagon. "Besides – I'm glad you didn't have to get caught up in everything that happened."

"Hydrangea."

Ilina sighed in irritation and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mother, please."

"Answer me," her mother said emphatically, her expression blank except for the slight furrow in her brow and the trembling in her shoulders. "Hydrangea."

Ilina relented. "Perseverance." Her mother sighed in relief, and Ilina couldn't help but feel a little guilty, though she couldn't understand why. All of a sudden, her mother would look at her like Ilina wasn't herself anymore. Like she'd been possessed by some demon. It seemed that their shared knowledge of flowers was the only thing that convinced her that Ilina was the same girl she'd always known.

There was a bell chime as the front door swung open. "Hello, I'm looking for—" Ilina was almost mortified to find Chrom standing at the doorway, and her face flushed scarlet as he turned his head to regard her. "Ah, there you are. I was just looking for you."

Her mother rushed to the door and curtseyed to the prince. "To what do we owe this honor, your highness?"

"Ilina, if you don't mind…" Chrom started slowly, smiling gently, "… my sister would like to speak with you."

"Lissa?" Ilina blurted out before she could stop herself, though the look on Chrom's face and the way he carried himself said otherwise.

"Emmeryn, actually," he said, though he didn't have to at this point.

"The Exalt?" her mother gasped. "But why…? Is it because of what you saw?"

"It is," Chrom answered, nodding once.

"But why?" Ilina couldn't help but ask. "You saw exactly what I saw… or at least Lissa did."

"There's no need to argue, Ilina," her mother said briskly as she wheeled the flower wagon over and handed it to her. "Take these to the Exalt, will you, dear?"

"But I…" Ilina clamped her mouth shut and exhaled sharply, simultaneously hating both Chrom and her mother for putting her in this position.

* * *

The walk to the palace was awkward, to say the least. "Are you feeling better?" Chrom asked politely.

"I was never ill to begin with," Ilina replied, staring down at the flowers instead of him, "but thank you for asking." The people's stares were another thing entirely; it wasn't every day that Prince Chrom would stroll through the streets with a commoner, after all.

"I'm sorry for any… inconvenience this might have caused," Chrom said, as if reading her mind. "But… well… Allow me to explain the situation. Those strange creatures that attacked us that night – Risen, we call them now – are a threat we need to address. And… forgive me, but you seemed to know quite a bit about them."

"I didn't know anything about them," Ilina told him. "Not from beforehand, at least."

"Frederick's account of fighting them accurately matched your description," Chrom pointed out.

"But you could tell all of that from just looking at them!"

"I couldn't. Neither could Lissa or Frederick." Ilina just sighed, not entirely sure where he was going with this. "Just think, Ilina – if you applied yourself and honed this skill of yours, you could become an excellent strategist."

"I don't know the first thing about battle itself," Ilina admitted, "and all that I know about military strategy comes from books."

Chrom smiled knowingly, and Ilina bristled, but didn't dare show it. "If you need more proof that this is actually an incredible skill, then recall our first battle together. Not only were you able to size up the enemy at a glance, but you could also tell what it would take to strike him down."

Ilina looked down at the flowers, her heart racing. She was a civilian, for better or worse. A florist. The world of fighting, battle, and strategy was well beyond her. And yet, somehow… "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because…" Chrom said slowly. "Well…" The palace gates neared sight. "I'll tell you later." He fell silent after that, but Ilina could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move, and she couldn't even begin to comprehend why. "You've been pushing that wagon a long way. You must be tired."

"I'm used to it," Ilina said, and she couldn't help but smile at him. Without warning, Chrom reached over and grabbed the handles of the wagon, just below her own hands. Their hands brushed together for an instant, and Ilina jerked hers away, allowing Chrom to comfortably adjust his grip. "Careful," she warned him. "That wagon can be a bit unsteady at times." As if to prove her point, the wagon jerked to one side, and Chrom stumbled while trying to right it.

He chuckled, and Ilina quickly relieved him of wagon-pushing duties. "So what do you usually do with all these flowers?"

"We sell them," Ilina replied with a smile. "As single flowers, or bundles, or bouquets, or arrangements. But I'm just going to give these to the Exalt. Like my mother said. I don't know why I'm repeating it now, sorry."

Chrom chuckled again, and then his hand was on her head, making her feel like her face was melting clean off. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

"That's her, Emm!" Lissa stood by the Exalt, pointing wildly at Ilina. Ilina shivered, slowing her pace and sucking in a breath.

Chrom laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This is Ilina, Sis," he said.

"Ah, yes," Emmeryn said in a gentle voice. "Chrom and Lissa have told me great things about you."

Ilina pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and couldn't be more thankful that one of the Pegasus knights had relieved her of her wagon. "They probably exaggerated, your highness."

"Regardless, it sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Ilina," Emmeryn said, smiling.

"But all I did was—" Ilina clamped her mouth shut and exhaled sharply. She curtsied shakily, fixating her eyes on the floor. "Th-Thank you, milady. But I sincerely believe that anyone else would have done the same."

"Then you must have great faith in your fellow citizens."

Chrom stepped forward, his shoulders squared and his expression confident. "I've decided to make her a Shepherd."

"Wh-What?" Ilina gasped, despite herself. So all that talk about her deductive skills was…

"What prompted this decision, Chrom?" Emmeryn asked, her face completely placid.

"As it stands, we lack a tactician," Chrom explained. "She may not be able to plan out entire battle strategies on her own just yet, but give her some battle experience, and she will. Not to mention, she can size up any enemy at a glance, her lack of battle experience notwithstanding."

"Have you asked for her thoughts on the matter?" Emmeryn asked gently, her gaze drifting over to Ilina.

"I…" Ilina took a step backward self-consciously. "But I…"

"A week of training with Frederick, and she'll be almost up to speed," Chrom said. "Not to mention, she can use some magic training, so perhaps Miriel can—"

Emmeryn held up a hand to stop him. "Chrom, please." She smiled gently at Ilina. "What say you, child?"

What Ilina wanted to ask was if Chrom was so desperate for a tactician that he'd pick someone so random as her to fill the position. What she said instead was: "But surely there must be someone else. Someone… better qualified than I am. I mean… I _would_ like to learn magic, and perhaps even to fight, so that I can protect my mother if I have to, but I'd just get in the way if I—"

"You didn't get in the way when we were fighting those bandits in Southtown," Lissa pointed out.

"There was _one_ bandit," Ilina reminded her. "And Sir Frederick disposed of him easily."

"Yeah, but—"

"It would be foolish to make such an important decision right this very moment," Emmeryn said calmly, "so I suggest that you go home and think about the offer."

"Remember," Chrom interjected. "It's okay if you don't know how to fight. We can train you. We _will_ train you."

"I…" Ilina swallowed hard. "I'll think about it."

* * *

"Absolutely not."

"But Mother, think of what an excellent opportunity this is!"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? You could be killed! Or worse!"

"What could possibly worse than getting killed?" Ilina's mother didn't respond to that, and somehow, that scared Ilina more. The past two hours were spent arguing whether Ilina would take up Chrom's offer to join the Shepherds or not. Normally, her mother would have been supportive – if anything, she'd be the one pushing Ilina to do something besides reading books and selling flowers all day, every day – but Ilina couldn't understand why her mother was being so difficult with _this_. "I understand that Ylisse is at war, but—"

"At war with _Plegia_, Ilina," her mother cut her off. "Plegia. I don't want you setting foot in there."

"You had no problem with Regna Ferox," Ilina pointed out.

Her mother's mouth formed a hard line. "They may be barbaric, but at least they're honorable. They're not…" She gave a harsh sigh. "Why do you even want to go?"

And there was the crux of the matter. The truth was that, once she got past convincing herself that she'd be a horrible candidate for the Shepherds, despite everything, Ilina _wanted_ to join the Shepherds. She didn't want to fight, necessarily, but she wanted to at least learn how – for herself, if for no one else. Actually, it was hardly a matter of want anymore. "Mother, I _have _to do this."

"But _why_?"

"I just… feel that I do. And if I don't take this chance, then I know I'll regret it forever." Her mother sank into a chair at the dining table in their home above the flower shop. "I don't know how Prince Chrom managed to see potential in someone like me, of all people… but I _do_ know that this is not an offer that he'd extend lightly, and I'd be a fool to turn it down." Her mother remained silent. "Mother?"

"If you _do_ go to Plegia, for whatever reason…" her mother said faintly, "… stay away from the Grimleal. That's all I ask. That, and that you come home safely."

At that, Ilina couldn't stop herself from hugging her mother right then and there. Her mother hugged her back and nearly pulled her into her lap like she used to do when Ilina was smaller in age and stature than she was now. "It's not forever. I'll be back before you know it."

"Please, be careful," her mother told her seriously. "There's one thing I want you remember." She pried Ilina off of her gently and stood up. They were both close in height, though Ilina was slightly taller, and her mother had to reach up to put her hand on top of Ilina's head. "Your head and your heart are yours to command. No one else's. Don't let anyone or anything take them away from you, no matter what the reason is. You are Ilina, my beautiful, strong, brave daughter. Don't let anyone or anything change that."

Of course, that had to come at some point. Her mother had the uncanny ability to worm the whole "don't let anyone take your head and heart away from you" speech into almost every conversation. "All right, Mother," she said as she always did, but then something seemed to wilt in her mother's expression. "I'll be fine."

Her mother gave a heavy sigh. "I hope so…"

* * *

"Here we are!" Lissa said excitedly the next day. "The Shepherds' garrison. Make yourself at home." The garrison was a rather small building just a little ways north of Ylisstol. Scattered around the room Lissa had led Ilina to were swords, lances, bows and arrows, and armor, as well as tomes and staves.

"Ilina, what are you doing here?" Really, it was to be expected that she'd run into Sumia here; Ilina didn't know why she was surprised, nonetheless. "Have you decided to join the Shepherds?" Ilina merely shrugged. "That's wonderful!"

"Great, so you two already know each other," Lissa said. "Anyway—"

"What's this about us getting a new recruit?" an armored man with messy brown hair asked.

"Right," Lissa said. "Chrom wanted—"

Before Ilina could process what was happening, an woman with short red hair had taken her hands and was examining them. "She's too soft," the woman concluded quickly.

"That's because she's not trained yet," Lissa said. "So as I was saying—"

"Not trained?" a boisterous-looking man with blonde hair repeated. "Don't you worry, milady. Let ol' Teach show you the ropes!"

"Well actually, she's—"

"Beg pardon," Sumia interjected, "but may we see the captain?"

"Poor Sumia," a woman with blonde curls and ribbons in her hair sighed. "She's simply been beside herself with concern. She's been asking every single day since you've returned…"

"Okay!" Lissa said loudly and emphatically, putting her hands on Ilina's shoulders. "So for those of you who don't know, which is everyone except Sumia, this is Ilina. Chrom's made her our new tactician."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Ilina said, curtseying to them.

"That's Sully, Stahl, Vaike, and Maribelle," Lissa said, pointing to the red-haired woman, brown-haired man, the blonde man, and the blonde woman respectively. "And you already know Sumia."

"I see you made it." Ilina jumped when she noticed that Chrom was standing just a little ways behind Lissa and her, and she couldn't help but wonder when he'd arrived at all.

"C-Captain!" Sumia squeaked as she took a hasty step forward. "We've been eagerly awaiting your—" And with that, she tripped and fell face-first.

"Sumia, are you all right?" Chrom asked immediately. "Those boots of yours again?"

"No!" Sumia denied quickly. "I mean yes! I mean…" She sighed and dropped the issue altogether.

"All right, listen," he said, suddenly all business. "In the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."

"But aren't they…?" Ilina asked quietly. "Aren't they barbarians?"

"Warriors are what they are," Chrom corrected her, "and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace. Typically, the Exalt would request such aid in person, but due to recent events… Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us. Now, this mission is strictly voluntary, so if, for any—"

"I volunteer!" Lissa said immediately.

"Me too!" Vaike added, grinning goofily at him. "You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission!"

"I'll come too," said a quiet voice from somewhere in the back of the room.

"I…" Sumia mumbled. "Um…"

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom said patiently.

"It's just that…" the brown-haired girl said quietly. "I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet. I'll probably just get in the way…"

"Well," Chrom said slowly, "you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn? Your choice, of course, but some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."

"Can I do that as well?" Ilina asked. "I know for a fact that I'm much less prepared for battle than Sumia is, but I _would_ like to train and gain some experience."

"Both of you, just stay by me," Chrom ordered. "You both will be fine."

"Th-Thank you…" Sumia and Ilina said in perfect unison, and Sumia bowed as Ilina curtsied. They looked to each other when they realized what they'd just done and giggled.

"All right then, rookie," Sully said, and suddenly, her arm was around Ilina's shoulders, and she was dragging the shorter girl with her. "It's whoopass time."

* * *

_So a little disclaimer that I forgot to put in the last chapter: the ships covered in this story do NOT reflect my shipping preferences. Accurately. Actually, I ship just about everything in the game, except maybe Frederick/Cordelia. I know shipping was such a huge part of the game itself, but here, it's going to be a relatively minor thing. I haven't entirely decided what pairings I'm going to use for this one, so the only thing I can say is that there WILL be some Chrom/Ilina fluff, but not so much that it takes over the plot. I'm not sure if this is going to mean much, but I'm not one of those fanatically rabid Chrom/Avatar supporters who hate on everything else. Hey, Chrom/Sumia is pretty freaking cute, too. And the Lucina/Morgan sibling duo stands on the same ground as the Lucina/Cynthia sibling duo._

_Also, there's a tiny little Persona reference. Sorry._

_Please review! _


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, Vaike!" Lissa shouted as she healed him for the tenth time. "You can do better than that!"

"What's the matter, Vaike?" Chrom said cockily, smirking. "It looks like your axe is losing its edge. Or maybe it followed your example and lost it altogether."

"Be careful!" Ilina shrieked as Vaike's axe came a little too close to Chrom for comfort, and she raised her staff to shield him.

"I see you're getting the hang of this," Chrom said, smiling at her.

"Focus on the task at hand," she replied without a second thought. "Worry about me later."

Ilina was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice Sully and Stahl approach them from behind. "The hell? What're you guys even doing?"

"Training," Ilina, Chrom, Lissa, and Vaike answered in unison.

"All four of you at once?" Stahl asked, peering at them over Sully's shoulder.

"Yup!" Lissa replied cheerfully. "Chrom and Ilina against me and Vaike."

"We currently have the upper hand," Chrom explained.

"Not for long!" Vaike yelled as he flung his axe at Chrom. The axe barely made a scratch thanks to Ilina's shield. "No fair, Ilina!"

"You have Lissa healing you at every opportunity, so the fight is still fair," Ilina pointed out.

"How were we going to decide the winner again?" Lissa asked, only to burst into a fit of giggles when everyone shrugged.

All levity was gone from the situation when Frederick approached them. "Milord! Risen have appeared!"

"Gods, they've spread this far already?" Chrom practically growled. Then, he sighed and turned to Ilina. "What do you propose we do?"

"Well…" She sighed, ignoring the pang in her chest from the way Chrom put her on the spot. "I guess we should—"

"Wait!" Vaike yelped suddenly. "I can't find my axe!"

"Vaike, this is no time for jokes," Chrom said with only the slightest bit of irritation.

"I-I'm not kidding!" Vaike stammered. "I just had it a second ago!"

"Looking for this?" A woman in mage robes now stood behind them, one arm wrapped around a tome and the other gingerly holding out Vaike's axe.

"Thanks Miriel!" Vaike said cheerfully, grinning as he took the axe from her. "You're the best!"

"_Must_ you be so complacent?" the woman Miriel scolded lightly, pushing her glasses up her nose. "What would you have done had the battle commenced?"

"I would've figured something out," Vaike answered easily. "Just leave it to Teach!"

"Vaike, please," Chrom said irritably. "Glad you could join us, Miriel. So Ilina—"

"Four barbarians and two soldiers among them, sire," Ilina answered without hesitation.

"That's a lot…" Stahl mumbled.

"Quit your whining," Sully snapped at him. "We can take 'em."

"So there are five fighters among us and six of them," Ilina continued.

"Six," Vaike said. "Miriel's a mage."

"Okay, so six fighters," Ilina amended, "which means they can't outnumber us unless reinforcements come. Regardless, given how difficult it can be to defeat just one, it would be foolish for each fighter to handle one Risen." The whole situation was starting to look less like a battlefield and more like a chessboard. "If possible, we should attack in pairs. Our attacks could potentially be stronger if we do so."

"Another item of note," Frederick interjected, "would be the advantages and disadvantages weapons have against each other. Lances are inherently stronger than swords, swords are inherently stronger than axes, and axes are inherently stronger than lances."

"Thank you, Sir Frederick," Ilina said. "So, four barbarians… That means that there are four Risen with axes." She sighed. "It wouldn't make sense for Chrom to dispatch them all…"

"Then allow me," Miriel said.

"I'll go with Miriel," Lissa volunteered. "She's not as heavily armored as everyone else, so she's going to need some help."

"Sully and I can take care of the soldiers," Stahl said.

"Perfect," Ilina replied, nodding.

"The Vaike's got a barbarian or two," Vaike said.

"And I will assist where necessary," Frederick concluded.

"Thank you," Ilina said to everyone. "Now, I'll…" Her mind hit a block there when she realized that she forgot to assign herself to a role. "I'll…"

"You can assist me," Chrom told her. "Those shields of yours are a huge help."

The battle was over quickly, and Ilina sighed in relief. "That actually worked…"

"Of course it did," Chrom said, smiling at her. "But if the Risen are appearing this far up the Northroad…"

"Then no path is safe," Frederick finished. "We'll need to stay wary."

* * *

Setting up camp for the night was much more difficult than it was before, since there were more than twice as many people, and Ilina was almost completely worn out by the end. Still, she managed to squeeze in one last walk around the campsite before tucking in for the night.

She didn't expect Sumia to approach her then. "Ilina? Are you busy?"

"It's all right," Ilina replied, smiling. "What can I do for you?" Then she mentally kicked herself. This wasn't the flower shop, and Sumia wasn't a customer. Not at the moment, at least.

"Well…" Sumia sighed. "I just wanted to talk, actually. We haven't had much of a chance to do that, even though we're marching together."

"Oh…" It wasn't as if Sumia was Ilina's best, closest friend – Sumia was an acquaintance, at best. Still, it was comforting to know that there was at least someone in the Shepherds Ilina knew from beforehand.

"So…" Sumia said slowly. "Are you liking it here? I mean, with the Shepherds."

"It's… different," Ilina said slowly. "I can honestly say I never expected to join." She smiled and stared at her feet. "But I really like it. It's like… It's like I'm _supposed_ to be here, if that makes sense."

Sumia giggled. "I understand. I get that feeling, too. I think everyone does. But it's also kind of… scary."

Ilina sighed and stared up at the sky. "I agree…" As they walked together, they continued to make small talk, and it felt like they were back home in Ylisstol (or at least Ilina was, since Sumia was from one of the neighboring villages). Only, back at home, they never talked like this – it was strange, but wonderful at the same time.

They ran into Chrom and Lissa somewhere along the way, both of them surrounding a wounded pegasus. The pegasus cried out as Chrom drew a little too close to it for comfort, raising its front legs in the air. "Whoa!" Chrom yelled. "Down, girl! Easy there!"

"Captain, one moment!" Sumia called suddenly. She tried to run forward, but then she slipped and fell.

"Sumia!" Chrom shouted. "Are you all right? … Those boots of yours again?"

Sumia stood up and dusted off her skirt, her face bright red in embarrassment. "No! I mean, yes! I mean…" She sighed and continued to walk forward.

"Sumia, be careful!" Chrom ordered. "This beast is crazed!"

"It's okay, Captain," Sumia said confidently as she gently rubbed a spot on the pegasus's head. "Shh… Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you." The pegasus calmed down quickly and leaned into her touch.

"Sumia, that's amazing!" Lissa gushed.

"I've never seen anything like it…" Chrom whispered.

"Oh, it's nothing," Sumia said, smiling at the pegasus. "I just have a way with animals, I guess."

"We should probably dress its wounds," Ilina suggested.

"Leave that to me," Sumia said. "Oh, you poor thing…"

"I'll leave her to you, then," Chrom said, smiling gently.

"Be careful," Ilina told Sumia.

"I will," Sumia answered absentmindedly as she continued to stroke the pegasus's mane.

* * *

"I wonder if Sumia is okay…" Ilina sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. It was snowing at the Longfort between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, and Ilina mentally kicked herself for the umpteenth time that day for not bothering to prepare for the weather.

"She'll catch up," Chrom assured her. "She's stronger than she looks."

"Maybe she'll bring the pegasus, too!" Lissa pointed out.

"Be on your guard," Frederick warned them while simultaneously ushering Lissa and Ilina to his horse's side. Thankfully, it was a little warmer by his horse than anywhere else. "The khans that rule Ferox have grown wary of foreigners."

"I read that they settle most decisions with battle in Ferox," Ilina piped up, "so we can't take their belligerence as outright hostility."

Chrom sighed. "So this calls for diplomacy, then," he said. "Negotiation's not my strong suit, but I'll do my best."

Sully snorted in laughter. "Like that'll do us any good."

"Well, a little kindness goes a long way," Stahl pointed out.

"If it's a fight they're looking for, just leave it to Teach!" Vaike announced. "My axe hand twitches!"

Lissa groaned. "Vaike! We don't actually want to fight them!"

"Your axe hand's convulsions will do us little good without the axe in question," Miriel pointed out as she dangled Vaike's axe almost mockingly – well, what passed for mocking for Miriel – in front of him.

"H-Hey!" Vaike yelped. "I dropped my axe!"

The levity in Vaike and Miriel's antics was lost on Ilina, however, the moment the air seemed to turn a bit heavier. "Something's wrong…" she said quietly, clutching her staff tightly. Sure enough, Feroxi men and women mobilized around and in the fort, frowns painted on their faces, with their weapons held out threateningly. "Two soldiers, four archers, three knights, a mercenary, and a fighter…"

"Halt!" one of the knights, a woman, shouted. "Who goes there?"

"In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!" Chrom shouted back.

"Not another step!" the woman warned. "I've lancers at the ready!"

"She really does," Ilina whispered.

"Hold, milady!" Frederick interjected. "We are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest."

"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!" the knight shouted back. "You think you are the first 'Ylisseans' to try and cross our border? I have the authority to fell such imposters where they stand."

"How dare you!" Frederick snapped. "You are in the presence of Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa, the Exalt's own blood!"

The knight chuckled. "Indeed – and I'm the queen of Valm! You do realize that impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes? Then perhaps we should settle this the Feroxi way. You claim to be the prince and princess of Ylisse? Then prove it on the battlefield!"

"Get ready," Ilina said urgently, and everyone drew their weapons. She wasn't prepared for the archers to suddenly fire at Chrom at once. Ilina shrieked as she desperately tried to shield him from the blow, but then something white flew towards Chrom, and in an instant, both of them were gone. It was a pegasus – specifically, the one they'd found the previous day – and Sumia was riding it. They swooped down in front of the rest of the Shepherds, and Chrom jumped off immediately.

"Chrom!" Lissa yelled, running to him. "Sumia! Are you guys okay?"

Chrom nodded. "We're fine. Ilina, what's the plan?"

Ilina's knees were shaking, but she did her best to ignore it. "True Feroxi tradition calls to settle matters with a fair duel," she said. "This isn't a duel, nor is it fair. Still, I think that defeating the commander should be enough to convince them that we're not their enemies. We're outnumbered, though, and they all wish to strike us down, which complicates things somewhat. If we stick together, it might be easier."

"To engage as one solitary unit would make us easier targets," Frederick pointed out.

"But the alternative would be to go alone or in small groups, and that would just make it easier for them to defeat us," Ilina retorted. She sighed heavily, playing with a strand of dark hair. "Both options have benefits, but they have serious downsides as well…"

"Look!" Lissa cried suddenly. "They're going down all on their own!" Sure enough, the soldiers, the mercenary, and the fighters were now lying unconscious on the ground. "Maybe they got so scared of us that they fainted!"

"S-Sorry," a quiet voice said. "I dispatched of them all while you were discussing strategy. Sorry for going against the plan, milady."

"Who said that?" Ilina whispered to Chrom.

"I'm right here, sir," the voice said.

"Who's there?" Chrom demanded, pointing his sword in different directions warily. "Show yourself!"

"I'm standing in plain sight, sir," the voice said again. "Right he—" Within a second, Ilina could see a man in a large suit of armor standing in front of her, and she screamed, prompting Chrom to assume a protective stance in front of her.

"Oh…" Chrom said as he slowly lowered his sword. "I-Is that you, Kellam? When did you arrive?"

"The same time as you," the man Kellam answered. "I've been with you all along… Er… I _am_ still a Shepherd, right? It's quite the honor, after all. I'd hate to lose it."

"Oh, come on, Chrom," Sully muttered. "He helped set up camp last night, remember?"

"Did he…?" Stahl mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"He was totally there!" Vaike interjected. "He helped put up tents and stuff!"

"Are you sure?" Sumia asked. "I didn't see him."

"Nor did I," Frederick added."

"Of course, Kellam," Chrom said with a sigh. "Forgive me. You're just so… quiet, I completely—"

Kellam simply chuckled. "Quite all right, sir. Quite all right. I've been told I'm easy to miss."

"Is there some sort of magic you possess?" Ilina asked him. "Something that turns you invisible and makes you unnoticeable to enemies?"

"A hypothesis I've been trying to test for years," Miriel quipped.

"Uh, no," Kellam answered sheepishly. "Nothing like that. I just… blend into the background sometimes."

"Well, regardless, it _is_ a useful ability," Ilina said. "I'm so sorry for not noticing you before, Sir Kellam. Thank you for your help."

"I-I'm just doing my job, milady," Kellam mumbled.

"However, at least as a sign of goodwill, we should try to keep the number of casualties to a minimum," Ilina said.

"I don't think they care much about goodwill right now, Ilina," Lissa mumbled.

"Those archers will no doubt be a problem," Frederick said. "Especially for Sumia."

"So we should probably send a couple people to keep the archers busy," Ilina said. "Miriel and Lissa, do you want to take care of that?"

"I hope my efforts will be sufficient," Miriel said as she and Lissa started making their way to the top of the fort.

"The rest of us will deal with the commander," Ilina said. "She has two knights guarding her, so all our hands will be full."

"Very well," Chrom said. "Let's go."

Ilina twirled her staff and quickly shielded everyone as soon as they entered the fort. "This won't last very long, so make haste."

"Will do," Sully said as she and Stahl flanked Chrom's sides, facing the commander.

"Please believe us," Chrom begged the woman one last time. "We are not brigands."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" the woman retorted, drawing her lance and pointing it threateningly at him. She thrust it forward, and Chrom met it with his sword. With a flick of his wrist, it flew out of her hands. The woman's eyes widened at his blade. "You wield the Falchion. So you spoke the truth…" She glanced at the mark on his arm. "You bear the brand as well…" She bowed her head. "A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom." She turned to her still fighting guards. "Cease fire!"

"About time!" Lissa said dramatically as she and Miriel finally joined the rest of the group.

"I will send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally," the woman said. "Until then, there is food and warmth inside the fort, as well as a hot bath, if you so desire."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you," Chrom said.

"All right!" Vaike cheered as the woman walked away. "Another victory thanks to Teach!"

"Vaike, you barely did anything," Lissa deadpanned.

Ilina made her way to Miriel. She was next to useless during the previous battle, at least combat-wise, and she was going to have to fix that soon. "Miriel, I was wondering if…" Her words left her, and she couldn't think of what to say.

"You wish for me to train you in the magical arts," the mage said, as if reading Ilina's mind.

"Yes," Ilina said, her confidence returning as she nodded. "Please."

"We shall commence now," Miriel told her, giving the tiniest of smiles.

Ilina smiled back. "I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

_There's a not-so-subtle hint about one of the potential future pairings (besides Chrom/Ilina) in this chapter. _

_A word on Ilina's staff: so basically, it's kind of a unique staff that only Ilina can use. From a gameplay perspective, it increases all of a selected ally's stats by three and decreases by one for each turn. From a purely storytelling perspective, it creates barriers and shields. Ilina can also use tomes, but no other weapons. _

_Just a heads up: for this story, Casual Mode is ON. __Death is cheap in this game anyway._

_Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

As it turned out, the Shepherds were to leave for the capital of Regna Ferox the next morning, giving Ilina almost the whole day to train with Miriel. "State the disciplines of Anima magic," the mage said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Fire, Wind, and Thunder," Ilina answered easily. "Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Thunder, and Thunder beats Fire."

"Correct," Miriel said with a faint smile. "Now, onto specifics of the three disciplines – specifically, the mindsets required to master them. For now, I will train you in just one discipline. You may request my services should you wish to learn another later."

"Ah…" Ilina said slowly. "Thank you, Miriel."

"Mind you, any mage can learn and utilize any one of these disciplines," Miriel continued, "but you sought my services in hopes of mastery, rather than utility."

"I did?" Ilina asked.

"Mastering Fire requires a certain level of aggression and tenacity," Miriel explained. "Mastering Thunder requires fortitude, cunning, and ironically an even higher level of aggression." Ilina winced as images flashed through her mind – Chrom dying before her, a bolt of Thunder magic protruding from his chest… "Have I said something to upset you?"

"N-No, not at all," Ilina said uneasily, shaking her head to clear it. "Sorry, continue."

"Mastering Wind, unlike Fire and Thunder, requires a sense of freedom and release," Miriel said without skipping a beat. "Now, which discipline do you believe suits your mindset and personality? Fire, Thunder—"

"No!" The scream seemed to claw its way out of Ilina's throat before she could stop it. _Not Thunder. Anything but Thunder._ "Sorry, I-I think Wind should be fine…"

"Very well," Miriel said, completely ignoring Ilina's outburst. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Miriel's training session lasted nearly the entire day, and Ilina received a new tome for her trouble. But then, shortly afterward, Ilina could feel that something was wrong. Something didn't feel right. She couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was. She decided to take a bath to calm her nerves, but that did nothing except make the uneasiness worse.

Running into Chrom was the last thing she wanted, really. "Ah, Ilina, I was looking for you," he said in greeting. "I was wondering if…" He trailed off as he began to frown at her in concern. "Are you all right? You don't look well." Suddenly, her ears began ringing, and her head was filled with burning, searing pain. She put both hands on her head as she collapsed to her knees and squeezed her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to stave off the headache. "Ilina?" She heard Chrom say, as if from far away. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Her body grew almost unbearably cold, and the ringing in her ears grew louder as a cold, harsh voice sounded in her mind. _Why… do you… resist me? Awaken… Awaken!_

There was a terrible spike of pain, and she could feel herself falling. A single image flashed through her mind – the Exalt sitting on her throne, her throat slit and her eyes staring blankly into nothingness.

Ilina groaned as she forced her eyes open, and she saw Chrom looking down at her. "Ch-Chrom…?"

"Ilina, what…?" he spluttered. "Are you…? What's going on?"

She sat up with his help, though his arm never left her back. "I-I'm fine…" she told him, though she didn't _feel_ fine in the slightest. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, her head was pounding with a different headache, and she felt dizzy and disoriented. And that hallucination of the Exalt – it _had_ to be a hallucination; there was no way it could be anything else – that was another story entirely.

"'Fine' is a poor choice of words!" Chrom snapped at her. "You're shaking. What's happened?"

"Really," Ilina said emphatically, forcing a smile for his sake, all she could see was the Exalt dead, dead, _dead_, and what that ghastly voice said kept running over and over again in her mind. "I just had a dizzy spell for a moment there. I-I'm just exhausted from everything that happened today." If he had any reason to doubt her physical condition, he'd leave her behind – she could just tell.

He helped her stand, clutching one of her hands tightly. "Still, you should get some rest. Can you walk?"

Her knees buckled suddenly, but he caught her before she could collapse again. "S-Sorry…" She took a shaky step forward, and Chrom continued to hold onto her as he guided her to one of the bedrooms the border guards had allowed them.

The small two-person bedroom was dimly lit with flickering candles, and Ilina all but collapsed onto the nearest bed. "Are you all right?" Chrom asked her concernedly as he pulled the covers up to her chin. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm so sorry about this…" Ilina mumbled, rolling onto her side and curling into herself, unable to stop shaking.

The worst part was that Chrom still looked anxious and worried. "Perhaps I should bring a medic…"

"I-I'll be fine," Ilina assured him.

He refused to listen again as he laid the back of his hand against her forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever… Still, I'm having a hard time believing that this is just simple exhaustion." Without warning, he grabbed one of her hands and held it tightly. "Are you all right? You're still shaking."

"I'm fine," Ilina replied a bit more confidently. Somehow, his hand around hers felt calming – and the shaking was even stopping.

"Now I believe that," Chrom said with a smile. He withdrew his hand, and Ilina couldn't help but feel disappointed. "You should get some rest."

"Wait!" Ilina cried as he turned to walk away. "Can you… um…"

He sat down on the bed and held her hand once more. "Yes, of course."

And before long, she could feel herself drifting off. Maybe all that had happened _was_ just a byproduct of exhaustion – she _had_ been fighting and training all day, after all. The last thing she heard before falling asleep entirely was Chrom's voice – quiet and gentle, but somehow as if he was talking more to himself than to her.

"I still can't believe I found you again, Ilina."

* * *

She awakened to Lissa shaking her and grinning down at her. "Good morning, sunshine!" the princess said cheerfully. Ilina groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Seriously. You go to bed ridiculously early, and then you wake up late?"

"S-Sorry…" Ilina mumbled, wondering why Lissa wasn't saying anything about what had happened the previous night. Her body still felt a bit heavy, but it was nothing that would force her to miss meeting with the khans.

"You must've been pretty worn out, huh?" Lissa asked. "Sully wouldn't stop ranting about it." She shrugged. "You're new, so it's okay."

It took all of twenty minutes for Ilina to get ready, and she and Lissa made their way outside, where the rest of the Shepherds waited. "About time you guys came," Sully muttered.

"Good morning," Sumia greeted pleasantly. "Did you sleep well?" Honestly, it felt like Ilina had passed out altogether, rather than slept. Still, she mustered a smile and nodded.

Her stomach flopped when Chrom pulled her aside. "Are you all right?" he whispered to her, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm fine now," Ilina told him. "I promise." She felt her face heat up, and she stared downward in embarrassment. "Um… Thank you for yesterday, a-and I'm sorry for the trouble."

Chrom smiled at her. "It was no trouble at all," he said. "I spoke to Raimi – the knight from yesterday – and she said that we could travel to the capital in carriages, as opposed to going on foot."

"That would be faster, too," Ilina pointed out.

"It would," Chrom agreed. "Now onto more important matters – I want you to be there when I meet with the khans."

"M-Me?" Ilina stammered. "But why?"

"You're our tactician now," Chrom replied. "It wouldn't make sense for you to _not_ be there."

Ilina sighed. "I suppose…"

* * *

East-Khan Flavia was an imposing woman, with dark skin and blonde hair. Though she was shorter than Chrom, she appeared much taller than she actually was, giving off an intimidating aura. "I apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom," she said in a deep voice. "You are welcome in Regna Ferox."

"Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding behind us," Chrom replied politely. "Is it true that bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?"

"Yes," Flavia answered. "Those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains.

"But why?" Ilina piped up. "Why would they go to such lengths to make Ylisse appear this way?"

"Because they see some benefit in raising tensions between your country and ours, little girl," Flavia replied. "Cowardice, is what it is."

"Damn them!" Chrom cursed, before immediately backtracking. "I… Forgive me, your grace. That was… indelicately put."

Flavia chuckled. "Damn them, and damn delicacy!" she retorted. "Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech."

Chrom clenched his fists in frustration. "In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards…" he grumbled.

Flavia outright laughed at that. "Now that's Feroxi diplomacy! I like you already." Her expression suddenly turned serious. "I know why you have come, Prince, but I cannot give you what you ask for."

"What?" Lissa gasped. "Why not?"

Flavia sighed. "I simply lack the authority, is all. In Ferox, the khans of east and west hold a tournament every two years, where the winner acquires sovereignty over both kingdoms. The West-Khan won the last tournament, so…"

"Are you saying we're to receive no aid at all?" Chrom asked.

"However," Flavia said pointedly, "the next tournament is nigh, and I am in need of champions. The captain of my border guard has informed me that your Shepherds are quite capable. Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the upcoming tournament? If you win and I become ruling khan, I will grant your alliance."

"I would have assumed that Ylisseans had no place in Feroxi traditions," Chrom said.

Flavia chuckled. "On the contrary. The khans themselves do not fight – they choose champions to represent them. Otherwise our lands would be rife with blood feuds and dead khans! We don't involve comrades or kin for the same reason. Over time, it was decided that the tournament should be fought by outsiders… although the outsiders never included foreign royalty!"

"We accept," Chrom answered. "We have little choice in the matter, you see."

"Then come," Flavia said. "I'll show you the arena where the tournament will take place."

* * *

Ilina exhaled slowly as she raised her staff, and a bluish shield settled around Chrom. "End it quickly," she told him. "This shield will enhance your abilities, as usual, but it won't last long, and I'm not allowed to maintain it during the duel itself."

"You worry entirely too much," Chrom replied. "No wonder you and Frederick get along so well."

Ilina peered at the shadows on the other side of the arena. "I wonder who your opponent will be…"

"It's no use worrying about something over which we have no control," Chrom pointed out. "Is everyone already in the gallery?"

"Yes, they are," Ilina replied. A bell rung out, and Ilina lowered her staff. "Good luck." Chrom nodded once to her and stepped out into the arena. From the other side, a familiar masked man stepped into the arena. "Marth…?"

"You…" Chrom muttered. "One question, before we begin?" Marth remained silent. "Fine, then. Our swords can speak for us!" They drew their swords simultaneously…

… and now that Ilina could clearly see Marth's in the light, she noticed that his was the same as Chrom's. Chrom's eyes widened in shock. "Where did you get that?" Marth refused to answer. "There's no way…" Chrom leapt into the air and brought his sword down, and Marth met the blow with his own sword. Blow for blow, parry for parry, Marth met each strike with equal ferocity. They seemed to move in perfect synchronization, and it was almost as if Chrom was fighting a reflection of himself instead of an unknown opponent.

"Tell me," Chrom grunted between blows. "Who taught you to fight like that?" They twirled their swords together and simultaneously charged toward each other, in the same exact form.

"My father!" Marth yelled as he leapt into the air, in an exact copy of Chrom's first strike. Chrom blocked the blow with his own sword, and they both staggered backward briefly, only to point their swords at each other once more.

"Who is your father?" Chrom demanded.

"I've said enough for one day, sir," Marth replied hastily.

Chrom's eyebrows furrowed as he lowered his sword ever so slightly. "Is that how it is? Lissa and Ilina owe you their lives, and for that, you have my gratitude. But within these walls, I represent the East-Khan and the interests of Ylisse. I can't promise to stay my blade, but I promise not to shame you."

Marth smirked. "I never expected such youthful arrogance. We shall see who shames who!" And with that, the shield surrounding Chrom faded as they charged toward each other once more. Marth was clearly the better swordsman – pure experience alone seemed to put him on a whole level higher than Chrom. And yet Chrom was quickly gaining the upper hand, and it was becoming clearer and clearer to Ilina that Marth was holding back – as if he didn't _want_ to win, let alone fight at all.

The battle was decided from the moment Chrom's sword pierced an unarmored part of Marth's arm. Chrom removed the sword immediately and swept it along the ground too quickly for Ilina to follow, and within seconds, Marth fell. Chrom pointed his sword at Marth's throat before the smaller boy could reach for his own. "This battle is over."

"Winner," a voice boomed from somewhere in the gallery. "East-Khan Flavia!"

Cheers erupted in the crowd, and Ilina sighed in relief. Chrom sheathed his sword and extended his hand toward Marth, but the boy refused to take it, standing up on his own and walking away, clutching his bleeding arm. The stab wound looked painful, and though Marth was trying to hide it, Ilina could see him wincing.

"Oh, _there_ you are, Ilina!" Ilina gasped and jumped when she noticed Lissa standing behind her. "Of _course_ you wanted a closer view of all the action."

Without thinking, Ilina tugged on Lissa's wrist and took off running to the other side of the arena. "Come with me for a second." The wound seemed to have slowed Marth down, as they caught up to him fairly quickly. "Wait!"

For reasons Ilina didn't understand, Marth stopped and turned to regard her. "Did you need something?"

"That stab wound looks really painful…" Lissa said. "Here, let me help. I can't heal it all the way, but it should stop the bleeding, at least." She raised her staff, and his wound seemed to glow for a minute.

Ilina reached into her satchel and pulled out a small jar. She took Marth's uninjured arm and placed the jar in his hand. "Take this, too. This salve will help with the pain."

Marth stood there blankly for a few seconds, and Ilina could swear that she could see his hands shaking – even the one tightly grasping the jar. Then he turned on his heel and walked away without another word. "Hey!" Lissa called after him, and he stopped in his tracks. "The Risen are getting especially violent these days, so watch yourself!"

Marth remained silent. "Take care," Ilina said, and then he broke into a sprint, as if trying to run away from the both of them.

Chrom decided to join them at that moment. "What are you two doing over here?"

"Saying goodbye to Marth," Lissa replied.

Chrom smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Gods, don't tell me you've turned into his _fangirls_."

"Well, I mean, c'mon," Lissa drawled. "He _is_ sort of dreamy, isn't he?"

"And _you're_ sort of dreaming!" Chrom shot back.

Ilina giggled. "No, it was nothing of that sort," she said. "We were just worried about his injures, is all."

"Well then, shall we leave?" Chrom asked. "Apparently, there is to be _quite_ the celebration honoring the new khan."

* * *

"There he is!" Vaike loudly and drunkenly shouted as he slung his arm around Chrom's neck. "The man of the hour!"

"I see you're taking advantage of the festivities, Vaike," Chrom said as he gently pried himself away, "considering how drunk you are already."

"Shaddup!" Vaike yelled, slamming his jug. "I'm not that drunk!"

"In other words, he is entirely inebriated," Miriel quipped, quietly sipping her own glass of cider.

"Oy!" Sully yelled from farther down the table, her eyes only slightly unfocused. "Kellam! What's this about you secretly watching my back in the last battle?"

"Um, I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, Sully," the completely sober Kellam replied. "I was just fighting alongside—"

"Well knock it the hell of!" Sully yelled. She suddenly leaned toward Kellam, so close that her nose was almost touching his. "_I'm_ the one who does the protectin' around here, got it? I don't need some tiny man in a huge suit of armor watching me!"

"B-But…" Kellam mumbled.

"Are you calling me _delicate_?" Sully shrieked. "You think you can be my gallant knight in shiny, oversized armor?"

"I-It's nothing like that, honest!" Kellam tried reasoning with her. "I just like protecting people!"

"You even_ think_ of pulling that crap again, pipsqueak, and I'll—"

"Oh, Sully, please don't be angry with him," Sumia begged her. "Kellam is genuinely a nice person!"

"And it's not like he's giving you special treatment or anything," Stahl added. "He does it for everyone… or at least I _think_ he does…"

Frederick sighed. "This is why consuming such copious amounts of alcohol is a horrible idea…"

"Besides the fact that smells and tastes really bad," Ilina retorted.

Vaike slid over to Lissa, smirking mischievously. "Whaddya say, Lissie? Care for a drink?"

Lissa giggled. "Sorry, Vaike. Chrom and I have a little something called _public image_ to worry about."

Flavia seemed to appear out of nowhere and heartily clapped Chrom on the back. "There's my favorite prince! Thanks for giving me back my kingdom. Just for that, you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs."

"Truly?" Chrom gasped. "Thank you, East-Khan."

"Yeah, thanks a lot." A tall, bald, dark-skinned, one-eyed man walked up to their table, practically pouting.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Chrom asked.

"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power!" the man ranted. He clapped Chrom on the back, his expression softening a little. "You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure I'd picked the stronger man." The West-Khan sighed. "And after he knocked my old champion flat, too…"

"Who?" Lissa asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"Oy, Lon'qu!" the West-Khan shouted over his shoulder. "Get over here!"

From a table farther down the hall, a tall, thin man with a sword strapped to his belt stalked over, his expression stoic. Flavia laughed as she attempted to ruffle his dark hair, and he ducked out of the way. "Well, if it isn't Basilio's cute little champion."

"Really?" Lissa asked, stepping closer to him. "Marth beat _you_? But you look so big and strong!"

"Get back!" Lon'qu snapped suddenly.

Lissa jumped backward in surprise. "Hey! Wh-What did I say?"

"Still great with the ladies, I see," Flavia deadpanned.

"Anyway," Basilio continued, "consider him West Ferox's contribution to your war effort."

"And Lon'qu?" Chrom asked. "You have no objections?"

"He gives orders," Lon'qu muttered. "I stab people. I think our roles are clear."

Chrom smiled. "All right, then. Welcome aboard."

* * *

_WHAT'S THIS? AN UPDATE SO SOON? Totally procrastinating on life right now. WHAT ARE PRIORITIES?_

_Flavia and Basilio are my BroTP. I'm not sure if I ship them romantically, but they will always be, forevermore, bros. _

_Also, I slap you in the face with a fish known as PLOT (also a not-so-subtle hint at yet another marriage union). So… I'm tweaking the plot of the original game a little. I can't tell you how – only that it's going to be TOTALLY AWESOME… or at least it SOUNDS awesome in my head._

_Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

All was silent in the Shepherd's camp, and one could cut through the tension with a knife. Poor Donnel, so new and inexperienced, didn't know what to do with himself as the tactician and the cavalier woman stared each other down.

It was a simple mission, really – in theory. A couple days after returning to Ylisse, the Shepherds received a call for help from the Farfort, on an island not too far from Southtown. Bandits and brigands were attacking a farm, and Donnel had practically begged the Shepherds to help. All was going well – the bandits' numbers were dwindling, and the Shepherds were growing stronger – and then Ilina made a serious oversight in judgment. In hindsight, she couldn't remember what exactly it was that distracted her – maybe she was creating a shield for someone or casting Wind magic at a bandit, or maybe she was shouting orders as she always did – but either way, one of the bandits struck her from behind. It wasn't a terrible blow, though it _was_ quite painful, and it became difficult to even stand, let alone carry on the battle, until Lissa healed her later. To make matters worse, she ended up dropping the shield on the person she was protecting entirely – incidentally, Miriel, who couldn't withstand such strong attacks. Needless to say, Ilina had worked Lissa _very_ hard that day.

And now, a little ways away from Southtown in the dead of night, Sully was glaring at her. "Is something wrong?" Ilina blurted out before mentally kicking herself, because _of course_ something was wrong, since Sully wouldn't be glaring at her otherwise.

In retrospect, her little blunder – or cascade of blunders – was a pretty stupid move – but not _so_ stupid that it warranted Sully's anger, right?

"You don't get it, do you?" Sully snapped. "You're a liability. Even that _farm boy_ fights better than you do."

"I'm trying, but—" Ilina tried to protest.

"Trying isn't good enough!" Sully yelled.

"Sully, maybe you should—" Stahl piped up hesitantly.

"Shut it!" Ilina was fairly certain that the entire camp was staring at them now. "Did it ever occur to you that Lissa was throwing herself directly _into_ danger while trying to save _your_ sorry ass?"

"I-I didn't…" Ilina mumbled, and she suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

"And when Sumia gutted that little dastard, did you know that _she_ got hurt, too?" Sully continued.

"Sully, it really isn't a big deal," Sumia quipped. "And that was my own fault."

"You need to wake up!" Sully yelled at Ilina. "This isn't some grand game of chess! These are people's lives you're dealing with, here!"

"Sully, enough," Chrom said bluntly, without much room for argument.

"What are you trying to prove?" Sully ranted, as if Chrom hadn't said a word. "A delicate little thing like you has no place in an army."

"_Enough_," Chrom said again, with finality.

Ilina gave a quiet sigh as she left the group, making her way to her own tent. As she left, she could hear Lissa making excuses to Donnel and Lon'qu. "Don't worry – Sully isn't _always_ like this. She's just… really passionate about what she does!"

And all the while, her mind was a mess.

_I can't do this anymore._

_ Why did Chrom pick me, of all people?_

_ I'm not suited for this._

_ I just have to read some more, prepare some more, maybe fight some more…_

_ I'm a failure at everything._

She was perfectly aware that she was indulging in copious amounts of self-pity, but she didn't care. The history book she'd picked up felt heavy in her lap – _Sully probably uses five of these as weights for training_ – and the words seemed to blur together in her mind.

And then, in the back of her mind, a voice spoke – so faintly that she wasn't sure she'd heard it at all.

_If it is power that you seek…_

No, she tried reasoning with herself, power wasn't what she needed. She needed to be smarter, faster, cleverer. Strength had nothing to do with it.

_But it does. You know it does._

Knots were forming in her gut and she was shivering, but by now, Ilina's mind was made up – she couldn't imagine why she tried arguing with that voice in the first place, since it was _right_. She slammed the book shut and dropped it next to her as she stood up and made her way to Sully's tent. And all the while, she felt _safe_ – like everything would be all right if she just kept listening to that voice. "I need you to train me," she said before the taller girl could get a word in.

"Why should I?" Sully retorted without even looking in her direction.

"Because you were right," Ilina replied automatically. "I lack battle experience, and it shows in my strategies. I have no intention of quitting and leaving, so I have to participate in more battles, and to do that, I need to be stronger."

"Why don't you ask Frederick or somethin'?" Sully asked.

"Because you train harder than anyone else I know," Ilina answered. "If I train with you, then I know I'll catch up in no time."

Sully sighed. "All right. Meet me in the fields in ten minutes." And for a while, they trained – running laps around the field and sparring with practice swords. Ilina endured it all without a single word. She couldn't feel pain or exhaustion – she couldn't feel anything, really. But none of that mattered.

And then, halfway through one of their spars, _it_ happened again. A wave of dizziness crashed into her like that bandit's axe back at the Farfort. Her vision was blurring, and she couldn't stop shivering, and she struggled to remain conscious. "Don't tell me… done already…" Sully's voice seemed to fade in and out, and it was becoming harder and harder to breathe. She felt sick, and her head felt like it was splitting open. It was as if consciousness was ripped away from her, and she couldn't even tell when she had fainted entirely.

In her dreams, she could feel the wind on her face. It was a harsh, cold wind – completely unlike the gentle breezes of Ylisse – but it was somehow comforting and familiar all the same. She hesitantly opened her eyes, and saw the high ceiling of a dark altar.

_Come_, a voice said – the same voice that had spoken to her before.

"Who… are you…?" Ilina mumbled.

_I am you…_ the voice said, _… and you are me._

For some reason, she could hear her mother's voice in the back of her mind – faint and barely audible. "No…" Ilina whispered. "That's… a lie…"

_Your head and your heart are yours to command. _Her mother.

_You and I are one._ The voice.

_Don't let anyone or anything take them away from you._

_ Awaken._

"No…" Ilina mumbled. The voice that had seemed so warm and comforting before now sounded cold and venomous. "I'm not… I'm not you. I'm not you!" And then, it was as if she was drowning. Something was dragging her down, and she couldn't breathe. Her body felt so, so cold, and everything hurt. Ilina flailed and screamed. "No… No! Help me!" An image flashed through her mind – a small blue-haired boy holding a glowing sword that was too big for him flat across his hands. He looked just as afraid as she felt. The sword's glow intensified for a moment before dimming and dying out entirely, and the sword fell from his hands.

"Wake up!" It was strange how one voice could snap her back to reality so quickly. It was a struggle to open her eyes, and when she did, her vision was blurry. She could make out Chrom's face hovering above hers, but not much else, and on top of everything, she felt sick and disoriented.

"Ch-Chrom…"

His hand was still clutching hers tightly. "Are you all right? You started screaming, and…"

"I-I'm okay…" Ilina managed to say, but her tongue felt think, and it was hard to talk.

Chrom suddenly glared harshly at her, and she winced. "What were you thinking, training with Sully in your condition?"

That wasn't what had happened… was it? Her mind was working too slowly for her to make sense of anything that was happening. "I… was training with Sully…?"

Chrom's expression quickly morphed from one of anger to one of panic. "You don't remember?"

It felt like Ilina's head was on fire. "I don't… know…"

"What's your name?" Chrom demanded.

"Chrom, what are you…?"

"Answer me!" he cut her off. "Do you remember your name?"

Ilina sighed – she wasn't _that_ far gone. "Ilina."

"What is the last thing you remember?" Chrom asked.

"The Farfort…" Ilina answered weakly. "I… messed up…" From the corner of her eye, she could see the Falchion lying on the floor. But Chrom was never careless with his sword… She gasped as she bolted upright. "You—" But then the world spun around her, and before long, she found herself collapsing back onto her bedroll.

"Are you all right?" Chrom asked in a much gentler tone. As long as he was here with her, Ilina surmised, everything would be fine.

It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. "Ch-Chrom…?"

"Yes?" he answered immediately. "What is it? Do you need something?"

All she could think about was that glowing sword in the dream, and then Chrom's own sword lying haphazardly on the ground below. "Did we… meet… before…?" She didn't get to hear his answer, for the last of her consciousness faded right then and there.

* * *

"Sumia, that's a practice sword, not a spatula. Hit me!"

"Yeah, just like that, Donny! You're doin' it! See, Lissa? _Teach_."

"If you raised your staff point six seconds more quickly than you currently do, you will be able to cast a healing spell almost a full two seconds more quickly, thus greatly improving your efficiency on the battlefield."

"Milord, forgive me, but you seem distracted. Perhaps we should train at another time."

Ilina sighed as she scribbled a few notes onto a map. She'd woken up that morning feeling much better than she did the previous night, though she still had a fever and still felt too weak to do much of anything. And all the while, she mentally kicked herself, because after everything, she was _still_ next to useless, and now she was ill on top of everything, and thus even _more_ useless.

"Hey, Ilina." Stahl sat down next to her, sighing as he did so. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered in a shaky voice.

"Here. I got you something." He pulled out a glass jar half-full with a brown liquid. "It's not the strongest stuff, but it'll help you feel better." Ilina frowned skeptically at it. "Don't worry – it's just medicine. My dad's an apothecary, so I sort of know about this stuff."

The concoction Stahl had given her was bitter beyond belief, and she winced as she took a hesitant sip. "I was wondering why you looked familiar."

Stahl chuckled. "That's right. We're both from the capital, and our stores are right across from each other. I'm still finding it hard to believe that we never met before you joined the Shepherds." Ilina winced, though not from the medicine's horrible taste. "Hey… So you messed up once. It's not the end of the world."

"I almost got Miriel and myself _killed_, Stahl," Ilina reminded him.

"So…" Stahl said slowly, waving his arms in front of him as if trying to reach for words. "Now you know what _not_ to do." He stood up, stretching as he did so. "Also, if you're going to train, do it with Miriel, or do that neat four-way thing you had going on with Lissa, Vaike, and Chrom. You're a magic-oriented person, aren't you? Then training with Sully won't do you much good. After you're better, of course."

Miraculously, with each sip she took, Ilina could feel her strength returning, little by little. "You have to teach me how to make this," she said bluntly. "All I can do is make a salve that numbs pain."

"Can I get a discount at your store?" Stahl asked in return. "No offense, but you guys are a little pricey." He stood up and stretched his arms backward. "Well, back to training I go."

"Bye," Ilina said quietly, smiling. And for the next several minutes, she watched the rest of the Shepherds training. Sully versus Sumia. Vaike versus Donnel. Chrom versus Frederick. Stahl versus Kellam (and how could she have forgotten that Kellam was there in the first place?). "Frederick is clearly the strongest fighter," Ilina said quietly to herself, "but it wouldn't be fair to let him take care of everything. So perhaps…" She leaned over her map, dipping her quill into a bottle of ink and scribbling away. "Lissa and Miriel need someone to guard them at all times, so if Frederick goes with them… Just my presence there won't be enough." Another thought occurred to her, and she couldn't help but smile. "If Kellam can maintain his invisibility, then he can be placed at the front. Then he can repeat what he did at the Longfort and dispatch some enemies before they even register his presence." She sighed, frowning. "But Sully and Kellam work really well together… Maybe if Kellam utilizes his invisibility at the beginning of the battle, and _then_ have Sully join him? Yes, that works…" She sighed again, resting her head on the palm of her hand. "That leaves Stahl, Vaike, and Chrom…"

And at that moment, Ilina had never felt more determined. She _wasn't_ useless. True, she lacked physical strength, but she could make up for it with her brain.

She could _do_ this.

* * *

That night, the Shepherds surrounded the campfire, eating the last of their evening meal together. Any and all signs of Ilina's sudden illness were gone, and she was able to eat and comfortably talk to everyone there. Sully still avoided her like the plague, however, and Ilina couldn't bring herself to look the cavalier in the eye.

And it looked like the rest of the Shepherds had noticed. "All right," Vaike said suddenly. "I say we do a little team bonding. Everyone say something that not that many people know about you."

"All of us?" Sumia asked.

"Even me?" Kellam said quietly.

Chrom chuckled. "Yes, Kellam, even you."

"I'll start!" Lissa volunteered. "Hm, let me see… I'm really picky about food. I hate bear meat, and rabbit meat – I mean _why_ would you want to kill cute little bunnies like that? And I—"

"Everyone already knows that, Lissa," Chrom said in a deadpan. Lissa merely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Naw, conies are great in stew!" Donnel said. "You just gotta cook 'em right."

"Do you guys want to hear about how I first met Chrom?" Vaike asked. "It wasn't _as_ romantic as how Ilina met him—" Ilina blushed at that. "—but it's still pretty awesome. He came to my village dressed like a normal civilian, and there was a little conflict—"

"Basically, he picked a fight with my brother," Lissa cut in, "and he lost."

"I was getting there!" Vaike shouted. "Anyway, imagine how embarrassed I was when I found out who he _really_ was. He wasn't mad or anything, though."

"I have two older brothers," Sully said next. "We used to wrestle all the freaking time."

"I want to meet Sully's brothers!" Sumia said excitedly.

Sully winced. "Yeah, well, you can't."

Sumia giggled. "There's no need to be _ashamed_ of them, Sully."

"I'm _not_," Sully said pointedly, ripping the grass she was sitting on.

Sumia's face fell as the implications of what Sully had just said finally sunk in. "Oh… Sully, I'm so sorry…"

"I was born in Plegia," Ilina interjected, if only to save Sully from any more awkwardness.

"Really?" Stahl asked, sounding intrigued. And for the next several minutes, the Shepherds swarmed around her, scrutinizing her features and then concluding that they could easily tell that she had at least some Plegian blood.

"I was really young when we moved, so I don't remember Plegia at all," Ilina explained. "I don't know why we moved in the first place, but… I know my mother doesn't ever want to go back."

"Don't move back," Vaike instructed.

"Yeah," Lissa agreed. "Stay with us."

Ilina yawned suddenly, and she finally registered just how tired she felt. By now, Frederick was gathering all the various bowls and utensils scattered about, and Sumia was stumbling after him, trying to help him. Miriel had her nose buried in a book, and it was obvious that she had completely tuned out everything around her by now. "We should rest," Chrom suggested. "We might as well begin traveling early tomorrow morning, so that we may reach Ylisse quickly."

Ilina was ready to collapse into her bedroll and fall asleep, but Sully managed to catch her before she could do so. "Hey…" the cavalier said, averting her eyes. "Sorry about… before."

Ilina sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I caused you so much trouble…"

"I was the one who pushed you into that in the first place, so don't even worry," Sully refuted. "But seriously. Miriel'll help you more than I can, so go to her for training next time. Or Lissa. Or someone like that."

Ilina chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." She shook her head, smiling wistfully. "I've been such a fool…"

"Just be grateful that no one got too badly hurt," Sully reminded her, "and make sure nothing like that happens again. _Ever_."

"I've already started working on it," Ilina said. "Thank you, Sully. For not being too angry, I mean."

Sully simply shrugged. "It's not like I have much of a choice. I can't stay mad at you forever – Chrom'll filet me."

Ilina sighed exasperatedly. "Oh, please don't tell me he told you to apologize…"

"Hell no! Chrom can't tell me what to do!"

And for reasons Ilina didn't understand, they both started laughing at that.

* * *

_We interrupt the present plot to… advance the overarching plot. I also glossed over Donny's paralogue, because it's literally exactly the same in this story as it is in the original game, so there's no need to go over it, really. Also, I love literally all of Stahl's supports to death. I really do._

_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

Three days after returning to Ylisstol, Chrom was back at Ilina's doorstep. "We have another mission," he said urgently.

"Where?" Ilina's mother asked before Ilina herself could say a word.

Chrom's expression turned somber. "Plegia."

When Ilina heard her mother gasp quietly, she became more and more convinced that there was something – concerning herself, probably – that her mother and Chrom were hiding from her. "I'll go," Ilina said confidently.

"Ilina…" her mother said quietly.

"I'll be fine, Mother."

"But it could be dangerous."

"Everything I do nowadays is dangerous. Besides – I won't be alone." _What is it about Plegia that you hate so much? _Ilina wanted to ask.

"Ilina, please," Chrom said. "Maybe you should stay here for this mission. I'd feel much safer knowing that Ylisse is in safe hands."

Somehow, Chrom's poor attempt at flattery only made her angrier, and Ilina clenched her fists in frustration, unable to meet either his or her mother's eyes. "I'm going, and that's final." _What are you hiding from me?_

Before Chrom or her mother could utter another word, Ilina left quietly to pack for the mission.

* * *

The mission was quite a bit more complicated than any Ilina had done before – a noble that she had apparently met before, Maribelle, had been kidnapped by Plegia's Mad King Gangrel. The Mad King, however, claimed that Maribelle invaded Plegia's borders and demanded reparations. Exalt Emmeryn was to offer parley. The whole matter was so childish that Ilina found herself taking the Mad King less and less seriously by the minute.

And the Exalt was traveling with them – something that Ilina was almost completely sure would end badly.

"Are you all right?" Emmeryn asked concernedly. "You seem rather tense."

Ilina mentally kicked herself. How could she act like such a child in front of the Exalt? "F-Forgive me, your grace. I just…" Her eyes involuntarily drifted to Chrom, who walked several paces in front of her. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Emmeryn smiled gently. "Do you wish to speak with me about whatever it is that troubles you? Sometimes, simply talking to someone else can help ease the burden."

Ilina knew she didn't deserve the Exalt's kindness. Here she was, acting downright petulant, completely ignoring Chrom out of anger and irritation, and the Exalt was still willing to… "Y-You need not concern yourself with such trivial affairs, milady."

"It's all right," Emmeryn said gently. "I promise – anything and everything you say to me will remain strictly confidential."

Ilina exhaled slowly, and it felt like her stomach was twisting into knots. A significant part of her _wanted_ to tell the Exalt everything that was happening, but a more rational part insisted that it would simply be a waste of the Exalt's time and energy. "I just… There's something Chrom and my mother are hiding from me. I don't know what it is, or how they both know about it. I can't imagine my mother would trust Chrom with any secrets concerning me, and I highly doubt that Chrom would likewise confide in my mother. But regardless, they both seem to be aware of… something concerning me that they both wish to hide from me."

Emmeryn winced sympathetically. "Secrets can be a heavy burden. Have you considered that they choose to keep theirs to protect you?"

"It's the only plausible scenario I can imagine, actually," Ilina replied, "but I have a right to know, all the same."

Emmeryn sighed. "I believe I know what this secret is. If you wish for me to tell you what it is, then ask, and I will answer."

Ilina's breath caught in her throat, and all of a sudden, her resolve faded entirely. Now, she could easily imagine that the secret was something great and terrible, and she no longer wanted to know what it was. "I…"

"Sister!" Chrom called from up ahead. Frederick, Sully, and Lissa, who stood a little ways behind him, stopped.

"What's happening?" Stahl asked from behind Ilina and Emmeryn.

Up ahead of Chrom, standing on a ledge, was the Mad King himself, with a woman with hair as white as Ilina's mother's. "What's this, then?" Gangrel sneered. "The Exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!"

As Gangrel cackled in laughter, Emmeryn stepped to the front of the group. "King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us."

The woman standing with Gangrel chuckled, and a shiver ran down Ilina's spine. "The truth? I can give you the truth."

"Perhaps milady may share her name?" Emmeryn asked politely.

"You may call me Aversa," the woman with Gangrel said in a low voice. At that, a lump formed in Ilina's throat, and she could feel the beginnings of tears stinging her eyes. The worst part was that she couldn't, for the life of her, understand why.

"Very well, Aversa," Emmeryn said, snapping Ilina back to the task at hand. "Is Maribelle unharmed?"

"Who?" Gangrel said rudely. "Oh yes, the little blonde brat. Guard!"

A soldier approached a group with a squirming girl with blonde curls in his grasp. "Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" Maribelle demanded.

"Maribelle!" Lissa yelled.

"Oh, Maribelle, thank the gods you're all right!" Sumia sighed.

"What the _hell_?" Sully shouted to Gangrel. "What did she ever do to you?"

Aversa jumped down from the ledge and put one thin, wiry hand on Maribelle's shoulder. "This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent. And what's more… she wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."

"That's a lie," Ilina said before she could stop herself, and she marched up to Aversa in anger. She could feel the Shepherds' eyes on her, and Sully was _surely_ internally cursing her, but Ilina didn't care. "Didn't your father ever tell you that it was a sin to lie?"

A range of emotions swirled through Aversa's eyes too quickly for Ilina to follow, and, within seconds, all mirth and amusement was gone from the woman's expression, leaving a hardened expression. "You… Didn't your _mother_ ever tell you that speaking out of turn so rudely could very well spell your death?

There was something about this woman that felt horribly, horribly familiar. "Don't you _dare_."

Aversa traced one long, cold finger down Ilina's jaw smirking. "What a pretty little thing you are. Pity you belong to those Ylissian dogs, really.

"Enough!" Chrom yelled suddenly. "Release Maribelle. Now."

"Chrom, please," Emmeryn said patiently.

"Such violent tempers amongst your army," Gangrel said condescendingly. "This will call for a weighty punishment. And if this little girl who crossed our border confessed to being an Ylissean spy? It would take an act of _considerable_ good faith to repair our relations."

"I've done nothing wrong!" Maribelle shouted. "It is _they_ who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village! When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border. Let the plundered shops and charred homes of that village serve as my proof!"

"That would only prove that Ylisse has a bandit problem," Gangrel muttered. "But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn said, "I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need for hostages."

"Without so much as an apology?" Gangrel retorted. "Why should I even bother with parley? I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper."

"You black-hearted devil!" Chrom shouted.

"Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt," Gangrel sneered. "Perhaps we can arrange a trade? You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

Emmeryn frowned ever so slightly. "The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?"

"Th-This is absurd!" Sumia interjected. "Why would you…?"

"Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people?" Gangrel said. "Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

"It _is_ true," Aversa said. "I lost my mother and _dear_ little sister to your precious campaign, after all." Somewhere in that statement was either a lie or a half-truth – Ilina could tell.

"You have my deepest condolences for your loss, Aversa," Emmeryn said, "but I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."

"Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy!" Gangrel shouted. "This negotiation is over! I shall have the Fire Emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny, dead hands!"

Three barbarians charged toward Emmeryn, and Ilina raised her staff to shield her. Meanwhile, Chrom made quick work of the men who attacked. "Stay back!" he yelled. "Or you'll all suffer the same fate!"

"Now that's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one…" Gangrel sneered.

"The only declaration of war that I saw was _your_ doing," Ilina retorted. "You attacked us first."

Aversa chuckled. "Really now, little girl," she said to Maribelle. "Are you worth fighting a war over?"

"No…" Maribelle mumbled. "That's not… Oh, please, no…"

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the soldier holding Maribelle prisoner, and a short boy in mage's robes ran up to her. "Maribelle! Go! You're free!"

"Another mage…" Ilina mused. "Perhaps if we divided and conquered…"

"Ricken?" Maribelle shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

"Just run!" the boy Ricken said. "We can talk later."

"Oh, is this your little boyfriend?" Aversa said mockingly. "Isn't he just precious?"

"Don't talk down to me, witch!" Ricken shot back. He opened his tome in preparation, just as Aversa did hers.

"Stop!" Ilina cried, sending a blast of wind in Aversa's direction to distract her.

And, sure enough, Aversa's attention was piqued, and the taller woman stepped threatening toward her. "Perhaps your mother failed to teach you not to meddle in affairs that clearly do not concern you," she said, anger and some other emotion Ilina couldn't identify clouding her expression.

"It concerns my allies, so it concerns me by default," Ilina replied. "Your argument is invalid." There was something about Aversa that Ilina couldn't quite explain – something familiar and… almost warm? It didn't make sense, since the woman herself looked so sinister, but…

Aversa smirked and flicked Ilina in the forehead. "Well, I suppose that's my cue to leave. I look forward to our next meeting, Ilina."

It wasn't until well after Aversa had left and the battle had started that Ilina realized that she didn't once introduce herself.

* * *

They managed to make it back to Ylisstol just as night had fallen. After a brief meeting at the garrison and a promise to meet again the following morning, Ilina gathered her things and prepared to return home.

She couldn't say she expected Chrom to stop her, however, especially considering the fact that she was the last of the Shepherds to leave. "Allow me to escort you back to your home," he said simply, and something in the tone of his voice left little to no room for argument. They walked in awkward silence for several minutes before Chrom sighed heavily. "I owe you an apology. I've been… secretive lately, and I understand that it must be frustrating for you."

Ilina briefly wondered if the Exalt had told him anything of their previous conversation, but shot down the thought as quickly as it surfaced – Emmeryn had _much_ more grave matters to attend to besides Ilina's irritation, after all. "If it's something so terrible that you can't tell me, then so be it," she said quietly.

"No," Chrom said immediately. "It's… rather silly, actually, which makes it all the worse that I haven't spoken to you about this yet. So…" He took a deep breath. "Yes."

"What?" Ilina asked when it looked like he wasn't going to say much else.

"You asked me earlier if we'd met before," Chrom explained. "Granted, you were delirious with fever, so perhaps you weren't in a right state of mind. But still, that is the answer to your question – yes, we have met before, and I was too much of a coward to admit that to you."

"I'm so sorry," Ilina said automatically. "I must have done something terrible to you for you to feel that way."

To her surprise, he outright laughed at that. "Gods, Ilina, _no_. That's not it at all. Quite the opposite, actually."

Ilina felt heat bloom across her cheeks, and she stared at her feet to avoid seeing his expression. "Wh-What happened?"

Chrom sighed, a warm, content smile plastered on his face. "One night, about a year after the previous war ended, a Plegian refugee came to the palace, begging my sister for sanctuary. She was carrying her daughter, who was either asleep or unconscious." He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "This is where the details become less clear. The girl was seriously ill, though with what, I do not know. There was the very real possibility of her dying. Emm ordered me to bring the Falchion – I was the only one who had the potential to use it at the time – while she began to pray to Naga. She told me to hold the sword out in front of me and channel its power into the girl." He smiled faintly at her. "Needless to say, the girl was saved."

"And I was this girl?" Ilina asked. Everything Chrom had said matched up with the vision she'd seen. "I must have awoken at some point, because I remember you being there." But still… "I can't imagine you had much of a chance to interact with me, considering that I was slipping in and out of consciousness at the time."

"That came afterward," Chrom explained. "Emm, the medics, and the priests insisted that you stay until they were certain that you were no longer in any danger. It was within that time…"

Ilina couldn't help but smile. "I see." Several more minutes of silence lapsed between them, and before long, they were at Ilina's doorstep. "Did you say my mother came and… begged for _sanctuary_?" she said finally. "Wouldn't that imply that she was running from something?"

"I'm sorry," Chrom said. "I don't remember much myself."

Ilina sighed. "I'm amazed you managed to remember this much at all. I moved to Ylisse, what, thirteen years ago?"

"Well, I _am_ two years older than you," Chrom pointed out. "That's one explanation."

"I wish I remembered more of my childhood," Ilina admitted. "Even at the border pass…"

Chrom's expression shifted suddenly into one of alarm and worry. "What? What happened at the border pass?"

"Remember that woman Aversa?" Ilina asked. "I think… no, I'm _sure_ I knew her before. She seemed to know me, at any rate."

"A childhood friend, perhaps?"

"I seriously doubt that." Ilina smiled bitterly, desperate to change the subject, because just thinking of Aversa was making her stomach twist into knots. "Did you always know that I was the girl from back then?"

"I suspected it when I first met you," Chrom answered. "My suspicions grew firmer when you collapsed back at the Longfort, and they were confirmed after what happened after the incident at the Farfort."

Ilina gasped. "So you _did _save me then! Just like you did before!" She smiled at him and took both his hands in hers. "Thank you so much for saving my life twice over… and for everything after."

She wasn't prepared for him to kiss her on the forehead then. "It was my pleasure."

* * *

_I have a bit of a spoilery rant. So don't read any further if you haven't finished the game._

_I… don't really like the SpotPass Paralogues? I hate how the death of major characters (and I'm not talking about casual mode here) is so cheap. Emmeryn miraculously surviving, as tear-jerking as it was, seemed to only diminish the impact of her death. And I thought Gangrel made a MUCH better villain than Validar. As for Aversa, I hate how they just slapped on a sob story and expected everyone to suddenly be okay with her. I mean, SERIOUSLY. The main game was great and all, but everyone who died should STAY DEAD._

_Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Three days after her discussion with Chrom, Ilina was paid a visit by Marth – while she and her mother were eating dinner, no less. It wasn't so much that Marth had walked into their home above the flower shop, but rather that he wasn't there one moment and was there the next. "Your presence is required," he said in a low voice.

And as expected, her mother immediately started fussing over him. "You're just skin and bones! You must eat something."

Her mother had to have thought that Marth was one of the Shepherds – that was the only plausible explanation for her hospitality that Ilina could think of. "Marth, what's wrong?" Ilina asked as she gathered her staff and tome. "Why are you here?"

"I need you to come with me immediately," he said, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

And that was how Ilina found herself practically sprinting to the palace, several paces behind Marth, who had surely slowed down for her sake. When they finally made it to a maple grove on palace grounds, Ilina was so out of breath that her chest hurt. Marth tugged on her wrist and used his free hand to feel the palace walls. "Marth, what exactly is going on?" No response. "Marth?"

He pushed a bush to the side, revealing a hole in the palace wall. "This way," he said simply, gesturing toward the hole.

"We're going in through there?" Ilina asked incredulously. "But why? I'm sure if we just asked, we could—"

"There's no time," Marth said insistently. "Please, go. I know for a fact that you will have no problem fitting in there, if that is what worries you."

Ilina ran her fingers along the side of her tome experimentally. "How could you know about an entrance to the palace like this?" she asked, ready to strike at a moment's notice. If Marth could get into the palace so easily, then that meant that the palace wasn't safe, so Ilina had to…

Marth drew his sword and pointed it at her, and Ilina realized just how hopeless her situation was. She stood no chance against Marth – if her theory that he had been holding back during his duel with Chrom was correct, then it was possible that Marth was much stronger than even Chrom. "Please, just go. I do not wish to fight you on this matter."

"Not until you explain to me what this is about," Ilina retorted.

"I will." Marth was practically begging her now. "I will explain everything to you and F—to Chrom once we're inside."

Ilina frowned when Marth stumbled over his words, but complied nonetheless, and for reasons she didn't understand, Marth grabbed her wrist yet again. "You must be desperate, to resort to such tactics to convince me to come along." Marth remained silent.

Several minutes of sneaking through darkness, and they came out into what appeared to be a garden, where Chrom stood staring contemplatively at the sky. "Good evening, sir," Marth said.

Chrom drew his sword immediately and pointed it at them. "Marth? What are you—_Ilina_? What are you doing here? How did you even get in here?"

"That cleft in the castle wall," Marth explained, "behind the maple grove."

Chrom sheathed his sword, looking sheepish? "There? But how would you…?"

"You know this place, Chrom?" Ilina asked.

"Yes, I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds long ago," Chrom replied. "I'd thought it well concealed, but…"

Ilina cleared her throat. "Very well, Marth. We're both here. What was it that you wished to speak about?"

"I'll keep this brief," Marth said. "The Exalt's life is in danger."

"What, Emmeryn?" Chrom asked. "That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."

"If Marth managed to find a hole in the castle wall big enough for us to sneak into, then I wouldn't put it past any assassins to find a way to end the Exalt's life despite the guards," Ilina mused. "But the only way you could know about something like this would be if you possessed inside knowledge on the matter, and I highly doubt you'd betray your… employers… so easily."

"What if…" Marth sighed. "What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."

"Have you lost your wits?" Chrom hissed.

"Yes, I expected as much," Marth said simply. "So allow me to prove it!" He drew his sword, and Chrom reached for his instinctively. "I'm about to save your life… from _him_." That was when Ilina saw the man hiding in the bushes. She shrieked as she raised her staff to shield Chrom, and Marth threw his sword in the air, jumping up and catching it before bringing it down on the assassin. "I trust this proof will suffice?"

But something was wrong – there was another man in hiding. "Look out!" Ilina cried as she shielded Marth. The assassin charged towards him, and Marth stumbled over the previous assassin's discarded sword. The blade sliced Marth's mask cleanly in half, revealing grey eyes, and Chrom made quick work of the assassin with one slash.

"Oh gods…" Marth whispered, collapsing to the ground and reaching for the broken halves of the mask. But everything about him suddenly felt wrong. His skin was too soft, his shoulders too narrow, and his waist a little too wide. And tucked into his shirt, behind his neck…

Ilina knelt by Marth and pulled layers of long hair out of his – _her_, she realized much to slowly – shirt. "You're a woman?"

Marth – if there was any doubt that that wasn't her real name before, there was none now – smiled bitterly. "And quite the actress, too, since I managed to fool even you." Her voice was higher pitched than Ilina had ever heard it – but it sounded more natural and less forced, all the same.

All Ilina could do was stare at Marth's long hair. "But why would you—"

"Wait," Marth cut her off. Within a few seconds, her expression morphed into one of alarm. "We need to go. Now."

* * *

"Four dark mages…" Ilina whispered to herself, shivering from how cold it suddenly was. "Five fighters… four cavaliers… and three thieves…" It felt like she was watching everything from up above, instead of actively participating. "How could we have missed this?"

"Wh-What's going on?" Lissa shrieked.

"Chrom!" the Exalt cried out. "Take everyone and flee while you still have time!"

"No!" Chrom shouted. "We're not leaving you! Just stay where it's safe!"

"Please, milady, just stay calm," Ilina said. She took a deep breath and focused. "Their leader appears to be one of the dark mages… so if we defeat him, the assassins should scatter."

"Uh, how exactly are we going to do that if there's _four_ of us and _sixteen_ of them?" Lissa mumbled.

Marth let out a quiet gasp as she unsheathed her sword slightly. "Falchion is gleaming…"

"What's wrong?" Chrom asked.

"It's none of your concern," she replied sharply.

Chrom sighed. "It seems that nothing ever is, with you."

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew almost unbearably heavy. It felt like something was pressing down on Ilina's shoulders, and it was quickly becoming difficult to breathe. She must have said or done something, because now Chrom, Marth, Lissa, and Emmeryn were staring at her in concern. "Ilina, are you okay?" Lissa cried.

The feeling didn't quite fade, but Ilina was quickly growing accustomed to it. She straightened up, gripping her staff tightly and taking deep breaths. "I'm fine." Chrom and Marth didn't look convinced in the slightest. "A-Anyway, as Lissa said, there are four of us and sixteen of them, so we're grossly outnumbered as it is. I'm the only one of us who can attack from a distance, unless Marth—"

"I'm more suited for close combat," the girl said simply.

"Right," Ilina said, nodding. "So I'm the only ranged fighter, in a sense."

"Ilina, do you have an extra tome?" Chrom asked suddenly. "If you do, give it to Emmeryn."

"Chrom, please—" the Exalt started.

"It won't be an act of violence," Chrom tried reasoning with her. "All you will be doing is defending yourself."

"This situation is not quite that simple," Emmeryn retorted.

"Refusing to submit to assassins is not an act of war, Emm!" Chrom shouted.

"Wait!" Ilina cried as she noticed a shadow along the wall. "Something is…" A woman with animal-like ears stepped into the light. "A… Are you a taguel? B-But…"

"Hold!" Marth interjected. "Panne is not your enemy."

"Panne?" Ilina echoed. "Is that your name?"

"My identity does not concern you, man-spawn," the taguel spat at her.

"I'm sorry," Ilina said immediately. "I meant no disrespect. But… Marth, do you know this person?"

"I know… of her," Marth answered. "And I knew she would come here tonight."

"Quite the prophet, aren't you?" Chrom asked.

"As you say," Marth replied lamely. "And I swear to you, Panne is an ally."

"That means we have one more ally!" Ilina said, her mind already racing ahead. "Is Frederick anywhere close by? If someone could alert him, then we may survive this."

"B-But Frederick already went home!" Lissa protested.

Ilina swore under her breath. "So that plan is out." Her head was starting to throb. "So for now, we should stay close to the Exalt and strike down whoever comes accordingly. Now, if the guards can—"

"They are dead," Panne said simply.

Ilina almost screamed in frustration. "So there are five of us and sixteen of them, and we have to defeat their leader, who hides behind them."

The decision was quickly made for her, however. The leader himself entered the Exalt's chambers, a slight smirk painted on his dark face. Something about him felt horribly familiar, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Ilina remembered that this was the man from the vision she'd had before meeting Chrom. "Well, what have we here?" His voice sent shivers down her spine, and her heart was hammering in her chest.

Chrom and Marth stood protectively in front of Emmeryn and her, both pointing their swords threateningly at the man. "Leave now," Marth said.

"If you refuse, I will cut you down where you stand," Chrom added.

The man chuckled. "Why must we resort to violence?"

"I could ask you the same, considering that you're here to assassinate my sister," Chrom retorted.

Marth swung her sword at the man, who swerved cleanly out of the way but did nothing to retaliate. "Leave us," she said in a low voice.

Just then, the man made a gurgling sort of noise, and Ilina could see the tip of a sword protruding from his abdomen. "Sheesh," the man's assassin said in a deadpan. "You call us here, saying we can loot the palace, and then you turn around and order us to kill the Exalt? No thank you."

As the dark-skinned man crumpled to the floor, his eyes met Ilina's. All of a sudden, Ilina's right hand began to tingle, and when she looked at it, she could see a glowing purple mark that certainly wasn't there before. When the man collapsed, the mark faded. _Wh-What…?_

"Emm!" Chrom shouted. "Are you all right?" Their savior, a man with bright orange hair took a step forward, and Chrom pointed his sword at him. "Get back!"

"Gaius is not our enemy either," Marth quipped.

"Gaius?" Ilina echoed. "Is that your name?" The man said nothing. "Ah… Thank you so much for helping us."

Gaius shrugged. "He changed the contract on us at the last second. Sure, I'll rob the Exalt blind, but murder her? No way."

"Hey, the assassins are gone!" Lissa said happily as she ran from the window throwing her arms around Gaius's waist and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Chrom gave an uneasy smile. "Well, regardless of your intentions, you _have _done a great service to Ylisse."

"Milady!" An armored woman with pale blue hair pulled into a neat bun burst into the room. "I beg your forgiveness, milord! I failed in my duty. They should never have made it here in the first place."

"Peace, Phila," Chrom said. "You couldn't have known they were coming. Only Marth could…" But Marth was nowhere to be found. "Gods, not again."

* * *

Chrom and Ilina found Marth walking slowly out of the palace, cradling her broken mask in her hands and staring at it pensively. "Going somewhere?" Chrom said suddenly, and she gasped as she looked up at him. "You have a bad habit of leaving without saying goodbye, you know."

"The future must be terrible, for you to work so hard to try and avert it," Ilina said sadly. "If you don't mind me asking, what future were you trying to avert by coming and bringing me here tonight?"

Marth took a deep breath, clutching the two halves of her mask tightly. "After the Exalt's untimely assassination, the Fire Emblem would be stolen," she said. "This, in turn, would lead to a great war, and soon to the end of mankind itself." She smiled bitterly. "But I'm sure that sounds like madness to you…"

"Regardless, you've saved both my sisters' lives," Chrom said. "Is there anything I can do to repay you? Some favor I can grant?"

Marth's smile became more natural. "Just hearing your offer is enough."

"And I owe you my life as well," Ilina added. "So if there is anything I can do to repay you, please let me know."

For a brief moment, Marth's smile looked almost pained. "You both have already done more than you know." And with that, she walked away.

Ilina sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I wonder…"

"What is it?" Chrom asked her.

"Well…" she said slowly. "It's just that… Marth came directly to me and brought me here. But why? Wouldn't it have made more sense to bring someone like Frederick instead?"

"You _are_ our tactician," Chrom pointed out.

"But Frederick is the best fighter we have," Ilina retorted. "Our situation wouldn't have been so hopeless if it where him fighting instead of me. And I'd worry if you would be entirely lost in battle without me."

"Speaking of which…" Chrom said slowly. "Are you all right? You didn't seem to be feeling well during the battle."

Ilina briefly contemplated making some excuse to reassure him, but quickly decided against it. "I don't know," she said quietly. "It was… different from everything that's happened to me before, but… similar, somehow. And also…" She glanced at the back of her right hand, which was as normal and unmarked as it always had been. "Was there a mark on my hand when you first saw me?"

Chrom frowned contemplatively. "I don't remember. I'm sorry."

Ilina sighed. "I expected as much." She wrapped her arms even more tightly around herself as she thought of the man who'd come to assassinate Emmeryn. She was terrified of him sure – but the level of fear she'd experienced in his presence felt almost unreal. It was too much – plain and simple. And then there was that nagging sense of déjà vu…

Chrom put his hand around her shoulder. "Are you all right?" Ilina nodded absentmindedly and was fairly certain that Chrom was unconvinced. "Come. I'll walk you back home."

* * *

"Good morning, Ilina!" Ricken greeted cheerfully as she entered the Shepherds' garrison. "I heard about what happened last night. Sorry we weren't there to help…"

"It's all right," Ilina said gently. "You had another situation to attend to, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and we have a new member because of it," Ricken retorted. "So that makes three new people total."

Ilina looked to Gaius and the new red-haired Shepherd Anna, who appeared to be having a heated discussion about something or another, and Panne, who stood by the window, glaring at anyone who dared to approach her. "So many new people…"

"And no new mages, either," Ricken sighed. "So do you want to start training now, or wait for everyone else to arrive?"

"Can we do that three-way training session with Miriel like we did last week?" Ilina asked.

"Oh yeah!" Ricken said excitedly. "You improved so much after that!"

"No can do, buddy!" Vaike shouted from across the room. "She's ours for the day!"

"You, Chrom, and Lissa got her last time!" Ricken argued. "She needs tome work!"

"She needs staff work, too!" Vaike shot back.

"Why can't I just do both?" Ilina asked in something very, very close to a deadpan.

"Oh, so you _are_ a mage!" Anna said excitedly. "That's good. You don't look muscly enough for physical fighting."

"Um…" Ilina mumbled awkwardly. "Thank you?"

"Putting on some weight couldn't hurt," Gaius muttered, and before Ilina could process what was happening, he was holding a slightly crumpled bag out to her.

She took it hesitantly and peered inside, only to see a series of colorful balls. "Is this _candy_?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound as disbelieving as she felt.

"Sure is," Gaius answered easily. "Problem?"

Of all things Ilina expected Gaius to give her, candy had to be at the bottom of the list. "Ah… I'm sorry, but… I'm not very… hungry… right now…" She handed the bag back to Gaius while trying to avoid meeting his gaze, and he took it without a word.

Just then, the doors to the garrison burst open, and Lissa, Chrom, and Frederick strolled inside. "Good morning!" Lissa said loudly and cheerfully with a large grin on her face. Frederick looked as stoic as ever, and Chrom…

… if Ilina were to be entirely honest, Chrom looked troubled – more troubled than she'd ever seen him. Lissa practically skipped over to Vaike and began conversing excitedly with him, though not before shooting Ilina a look and jerking her head in Chrom's direction. Ilina walked up to him and smiled. "Good morning."

"Ah…" Chrom startled, and she grew even more worried. "Good morning, Ilina."

"Is everything all right?" she asked quietly. "Besides the obvious, of course."

"Well—" Chrom said uneasily.

"Hey, Chrom!" Vaike shouted. "Why don't we—"

"We'll do that _later_, Vaike!" Lissa said pointedly. "So anyway, there's this neat trick I've been wanting to show you…"

Amidst the commotion, Ilina grabbed Chrom's wrist and quietly pulled them outside, where she was sure they would be alone. "So what is it?" she asked.

Chrom sighed, and it looked like he was carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. "I need to head to Ferox to ask for additional soldiers. Emm refuses to come for her own safety."

Ilina widened her eyes. "Don't tell me she's staying here after someone tried to assassinate her."

"Well, we managed to convince her to relocate to the eastern palace," Chrom said. "But still…"

"You're marching to Ferox?" Ilina asked. "With Frederick and Lissa, I presume?"

"Yes," Chrom answered. "And the rest of the Shepherds will be stationed at the eastern palace."

"Someone needs to be there with you as well," Ilina pointed out. "I highly doubt Plegia will stop with just your sister."

"So you agree?" Chrom asked. "That it was Plegia that was responsible for what happened last night?"

The implications of what she'd said finally sunk in. "Hm? Oh… They were definitely from Plegia. There's no doubt about it."

"And you know this for a fact?"

Ilina exhaled slowly. "Yes, but… I don't know how."

"The Pegasus Knights will be with my sister, but that _can't _be enough," Chrom said.

"All right," Ilina said sharply. "Sumia should join them, then… and perhaps Sully, Stahl, Donnel, and Vaike as well. Either Miriel or Ricken should stay… and one of them should go with you. Lon'qu should go with you as well, since Regna Ferox is his hometown, after all. That leaves…" She sighed. "That leaves Gaius, Anna, Maribelle and Panne. Gaius should _definitely_ stay with the Exalt, since he is the reason she's alive today. I don't know very much about Anna… but I assume she and Gaius are similar in their capabilities, so perhaps she should go with you. Panne could either go or stay behind – she'd be an incredible asset in both places – Maribelle should stay behind since the people guarding the Exalt should have at least one healer, and… am I forgetting someone?"

"Yourself," Chrom said with a small smile.

"Right," Ilina said. "Um… I'm not sure…"

"Come with me," Chrom said. "The khans seemed to like you when we met them."

But though Chrom was smiling, he looked no less relaxed. Ignoring the fact that she could feel her face heating up and that her heart was hammering in her chest, Ilina wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, resting her head against his chest. "It's going to be all right. You'll see."

He wrapped his arms around her as well and rested his head on top of hers. "I hope so…"

* * *

_A not so important thing of note: Ilina is the same height as the shortest version of the female avatar. Her hairstyle is similar to Libra's, though her hair is dark brown and is shoulder-length. Also there's a slightly more subtle hint at one of the future pairings in this chapter._

_Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

Ilina was snapped back to reality when she ran straight into Chrom and nearly suffocated on his cape. Chrom chuckled infuriatingly, and for a moment, Ilina wanted to kill him. "Maybe it's time you took a break and joined someone on a horse or pegasus."

"I'm fine," came Ilina's muffled reply, her face still buried in Chrom's cape. "Sully said this would improve my endurance."

"Sully is traveling on a horse and is currently laughing at you," Chrom retorted. Ilina just groaned. "Would you like me to carry you instead?"

That gave her the strength she needed to untangle herself from his cape. "No!" she replied in a mortified shriek.

"You can join us, Ilina!" Lissa called, waving her arms above her head from Maribelle's horse.

"Lissa, dear, there isn't any more room," Maribelle said a bit grumpily.

"Aw, just suck it up," Sully said as she brought her horse forward. "It's just a healthy little stroll."

"Easy for you to say…" Ilina almost whined.

"I'm sure even the hierarch is in better shape than you," Sully retorted.

Ilina crossed her arms and frowned at Sully. "I seriously doubt that."

Sully flipped her spear around and tapped Ilina lightly on the head with its bladeless side, smirking. "Wimp."

Ilina sighed heavily, and it suddenly grew cold. "Something wrong?" Chrom asked her.

"I don't know…" Ilina mumbled. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but… something doesn't feel right." The uneasy feeling only intensified, and Ilina threw her arm out in front of Chrom. "Stop!"

"What?" Chrom asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Sumia!" Ilina called.

"I'm on it!" Sumia replied as she guided her pegasus upward. She gasped loudly before swooping down in front of Chrom. "Plegian soldiers! They're here!"

"Aw yeah!" Vaike cheered as he ran forward, his axe drawn. "Leave it to teach!"

"Vaike, no!" Chrom said urgently.

"Everyone, be quiet for just a second!" Ilina shrieked. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused. "Three wyvern riders… three barbarians… two archers… and—"

A wyvern rider suddenly flew into view, cackling. "Ho there, Ylisseans! Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and spare yourselves a gory end!"

The Exalt was positioned directly in the middle of the group, riding on a pegasus with Phila. "Phila!" Chrom shouted. "Take Emmeryn to the rear of the column! We'll fend off these blackguards!"

"Everyone, stay calm," Ilina said. "There are a lot of them, but if we focus, we can end this quickly." She exhaled sharply as she shivered. "Swords are strong against axes… so Chrom, Stahl, Panne, and Donnel, can you take care of the barbarians?"

"Leave it to us!" Stahl said confidently.

"As for the archers…" Ilina continued. "Well, whoever's left after…" She eyed the wyvern riders anxiously. "If we want to defeat _them_, we'll need to draw them here. Even then…"

"Prince Chrom! Captain Phila!" A woman with long red hair swooped toward them on her pegasus. "Enemy reinforcements to the rear! They'll be upon us soon!"

"How many?" Ilina asked quickly, formalities be damned.

"At least twenty," the woman said with a heavily sigh.

"Gods, Cordelia?" Phila suddenly shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that!" Ilina interjected. "Cordelia, is it?" The red-haired woman nodded. "I need you and Sumia to bring those wyvern riders here. Once you do, Miriel, Ricken and I can deal with them. Frederick, Vaike, Anna, Gaius, and Sully, the archers are yours. Lissa, stay close to us. Maribelle, you go with Frederick, Vaike and Sully."

"I'll go with the ones fighting the archers," Kellam volunteered quietly, and Ilina mentally kicked herself for forgetting about him yet again.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Ready, everyone?"

* * *

By the time the battle was over, Ilina was almost too tired to move. "All right, that's enough endurance training," Sully said as she lifted Ilina onto her horse.

"More Plegians are coming!" Cordelia cried, sounding panicked. "Not a half day's march behind us!"

"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Phila asked sharply. "Tell me the border remains secure!"

Cordelia winced. "That I could, milady, but… Gangrel himself led his might against us! The end was upon us when my knight-sisters begged me fly and warn the Exalt…" Ilina gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Cordelia looked like it took all she had to not burst into tears right then and there. "I should have stayed… I should have stayed!"

"Damn those monsters!" Chrom cursed.

"I must return to the capital," the Exalt said quietly, yet confidently. "I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light… The people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die."

"Sire, you can't!" Ilina interjected. "It's too dangerous!" And for a moment, her mother's words echoed in her mind. _We owe our lives to the Exalt, and we everything we do must be for her benefit. _

"Peace, Ilina," Emmeryn said much too calmly. "Sir Frederick, I need…"

"Yes, milady," the knight sighed. He reached into a brown satchel and pulled out what appeared to be a golden shield.

"Chrom, I'm entrusting this to you," Emmeryn said.

"The Fire Emblem?" Chrom said quietly.

"Take it to Ferox – to safety," the Exalt instructed. "Do not worry about me. No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem… but too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me."

"Emm, please!" Chrom protested. "This is madness!"

"Sis, wait!" Lissa cried. "Let me go with you!"

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa," Emmeryn said. "I command it."

"This isn't fair!" Lissa ranted. "I know our people need you, but we need you too!"

"Your grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol," Phila said.

"And so will many of the Shepherds," Ilina added. Everyone regarded her with strange looks. "This was the plan, remember? Some of us would accompany Chrom to Ferox while the rest stayed to protect the Exalt. The only difference is that you'll all be at the capital instead of the eastern palace." She took a deep breath and tried to smile. "See? We're fine. Things aren't proceeding _exactly_ as planned, but it isn't too large of a deviation."

"No, we are _not_ fine," Chrom said suddenly, frowning at her. "Walking to your death will not bring peace to anyone!"

Ilina jumped down from Sully's horse and walked up to Chrom. "So we'll just send more Shepherds—"

"That's not good enough!" Chrom exploded.

Ilina jumped back in surprise and gave a quiet gasp, but quickly steeled herself. "With all due respect, I think the Exalt's wishes take precedence over yours."

"Since when do _you_ have the right to command _my_ army?" Chrom shot back angrily.

Something jolted in Ilina's chest, and she didn't bother pointing out the flaws in his logic. "Well, would you rather kidnap the Exalt and bring her to Ferox with us? I'm sure _that_ will placate the Mad King!"

"And what if the Mad King waits at the capital? What then? What if all of Ylisstol's citizens become _collateral damage_?"

Ilina clenched her fists in frustration, and she could feel tears stinging her eyes as the hopelessness of the situation finally started sinking in. She was being selfish, she realized – if the Exalt went back to the capital, then there was a chance that the Plegian soldiers who were probably already there would spare the citizens – her mother. "I know that! I just…" She swallowed hard. "Don't you see? There's nothing we can do to ensure that no one gets hurt! Either way, someone will…" Her mother was all alone at home, with no one to protect her, and if Plegia attacked…

"This is a terrible plan," Chrom said forlornly.

Were the circumstances less severe, Ilina would have taken that as a direct insult. "I don't see any better alternatives." She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, and a series of images flashed before her mind – Aversa, the man who'd tried to assassinate Emmeryn before, Emmeryn herself, sitting on her throne with her throat slit… "You… You don't know what they're capable of…"

"Do you?" Chrom retorted, looking more exhausted than angry.

"Stop it!" Lissa interjected. Tears were streaming down her face, and she sniffled every so often. "You guys can't be fighting like this!"

"Thank you for your concern, Ilina," the Exalt said, putting her hand on Ilina's shoulder. "If you don't mind, may we carry out your plan?"

"Emm…" Chrom said in a low voice.

Emmeryn smiled gently at him. "I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek… you cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry – I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."

"There must be some other way…" Chrom protested weakly.

But no matter how hard Ilina tried to think, no matter how much she grappled with different possibilities and scenarios, she couldn't come to an answer. "There isn't," she whispered.

"The blood of the first Exalt flows strong in us," Emmeryn said calmly. "You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, everyone."

"Hey, Ilina," Sully said. "Who's going with the Exalt again?"

Ilina sighed. Her chest felt heavy, and her head hurt. "Everyone, except Lissa and Frederick." There was a large part of her that wanted to go back to Ylisstol, if only to protect her mother and keep her safe, but there was an equally large part that wanted to go with Chrom, with whom she'd probably be more useful.

"Please go with Chrom," the Exalt said. "I would like someone else there with him, protecting him, Frederick's skills notwithstanding."

"B-But…" Ilina protested weakly.

"I'll keep an eye on your mother," Stahl said, "so don't worry."

"That's…" Ilina started. "Well…" She sighed. "Thank you."

Within minutes, she, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick set off for Regna Ferox in silence.

* * *

They arrived in Ferox nearly two days later. Chrom, Ilina, and Lissa waited in Castle Ferox silently, each left to their own devices. All the while, Ilina couldn't stop worrying about her mother, and after some time, she'd start berating herself for worrying more about her own family when Chrom's was _clearly_ in more danger. The cycle repeated endlessly, and it made her head hurt.

Chrom was another story entirely. He wouldn't so much as look at her, and Ilina couldn't tell if it was because he was deliberately ignoring her or because he was lost in his own thoughts (it was probably a combination of both).

"Are you guys still fighting?" Lissa asked, breaking the long silence.

"Huh?" Ilina mumbled groggily.

"What?" Chrom asked quietly.

For a moment, the chaos in Ilina's mind stopped as she considered what her own actions probably looked like to Lissa. She probably looked like a child, petulantly ignoring Chrom for small, insignificant reasons. "Oh… No, we're not… at least, _I'm _not…" She sighed tiredly. "Chrom, I'm so sorry. I just… I was so useless! I couldn't think of anything that would…"

He gave her a small smile. "You can't blame yourself," he said sincerely. "But I need to apologize as well. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"I wasn't trying to ignore you," Ilina told him.

"Neither was I," Chrom said, his smile widening ever so slightly.

And at that moment, Flavia returned. "So sorry to break up this little love fest," she said sharply, "but the Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching to fight."

Ilina sighed in relief. "Thank you so much…"

Flavia chuckled. "I must say, I'm looking forward to favoring a skirmish or two myself…"

"Wait, you're coming along?" Chrom asked.

"Of course!" Flavia replied. "A khan must have her fun. I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

"Your what?" Lissa said flatly.

"Basilio," Flavia elaborated. "The oaf isn't good for much, but he might stop a few stray arrows."

Suddenly, Basilio stormed into the room. "Chrom! Good gods, I've been looking for you everywhere!" He didn't look grumpy like he did when Ilina first met him – his frown seemed much more serious. "Our scouts have reported back. Dark news, I'm afraid… Ylisstol… has fallen. The Plegians captured your Exalt and retreated back across their lines. Gangrel has declared she's to be publicly executed within the moon."

"E-Executed?" Chrom repeated.

"That dastard's not even trying to be subtle anymore," Flavia practically growled.

"What about the civilians?" Ilina asked before she could stop themselves. "Are there… Are there any survivors?"

"It's hard to say…" Basilio answered solemnly. "Half the city was in flames. But all soldiers survived, even if they are shaken and injured."

The world tilted, and Flavia caught Ilina before she could fall. But all Ilina could think about was the fact that everything was going _wrong_. "We have to go back," she whispered.

"The Mad King knew our scouts would relay this information back," Basilio said. "It's clearly a provocation – a hot brand to the buttocks! We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any—"

"We'll march to Plegia," Chrom cut him off.

Basilio cleared his throat. "Well, that would be _one_ option, yes…"

"We need to go back to Ylisstol first," Ilina said. She didn't even care that she was being selfish anymore; she had to know if her mother was safe.

"And that would be another," Basilio said lamely. "But perhaps we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, eh?"

"Let's put it this way," Flavia said. "Both the capital _and_ Plegia can be considered enemy grounds, and it would be a horrible idea to—"

"I don't care!" Chrom shouted. "He's going to murder my sister!"

"My mother could be dying right now, and—" Ilina said.

"Peace, Chrom, Ilina," Flavia said sharply. "Breathe a moment. No one's suggesting we don't act; we're simply saying we should act _wisely_. We'll need guts _and_ wits in equal measure if we're to save the Exalt. And Ilina, I understand that you're worried about your family, but perhaps now is not the time to be worrying about individual civilians."

Ilina slapped her cheeks. _Pull yourself together. Panicking won't get you anywhere._ "I'll think of something," she said slowly. "I'll fix this."

"Ilina…" Chrom said slowly.

"I know I haven't been very successful lately," Ilina said, "but this time will be different. I promise."

Basilio laughed. "No hesitation, no mincing words… She's either a genius or a fool!"

Ilina sighed. "But…" She really _did_ want to go back to Ylisstol.

Chrom put one hand on her shoulder. "We still need to pick up the rest of the Shepherds. We can check on your mother then."

Before she could process what was happening, Ilina was crying, and she furiously tried drying her tears to no avail. "S-Sorry…"

"Get it out of your system now," Flavia said. "There's no place for emotional baggage on the battlefield."

Lissa was already sobbing, and Ilina quickly followed her example.

* * *

_So… yeah, Ilina's kind of selfish in this. Emmeryn's about to be executed, and she's more worried about her mother. Not so typical of protagonists in general, but you'd probably react the same way. Look at it this way – if Obama and my own mom were both in danger, I know I'd definitely worry more about my mom than Obama. Also, why does Emmeryn send Ilina with Chrom instead of one of the other Shepherds? I promise, there is a reason._

_Anyway, please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

The Shepherds had set up camp for the night in the desert pass, a little ways away from Plegia's capital. While the desert was sweltering during the daytime, at night, it was absolutely freezing, but the chilliness kept Ilina awake as she pored over maps.

Staying focused was another thing entirely. No matter what, Ilina's mind would wander, thinking about Marth, who'd gone to Ylisstol and stayed with her mother to protect her, and about the Grimleal, who'd caused the Shepherds trouble, but also gifted them with two new recruits, Gregor and Nowi. And then, on top of everything, they were to march into Plegia the next day – the very place her mother absolutely despised. There was a vague, nagging feeling in Ilina's gut that made her want to see that woman Aversa again, though she couldn't fathom why.

Something soft fell onto her shoulders. Ilina smiled as she pulled the blanket around herself, and the shivers quickly died down. "Thank you," she said as Chrom sat down next to her.

There were dark circles under his eyes, and there was a tension in his shoulders that certainly wasn't there about a week ago. "You look like you're dueling with some unpleasant thoughts," he said. Something warm bloomed in Ilina's chest. Here he was, worrying about her when his sister's life was on the line… but then again, she _did_ promise to find some way to save the Exalt, so of course he'd want her in optimum condition when they stormed the capital. "Are you all right?" he asked her concernedly.

She couldn't tell if he was worried about her physical health or her mental stability, though at this point, it could easily have been either one. "I'm fine," she said quietly.

She'd pulled her hair into a low ponytail because sweat made it cling annoyingly to the back of her neck, but after a long day of marching and fighting, several strands had come loose. Chrom pushed one particularly large strand behind her ear, his large hands warm and comforting. She didn't even look up at him, choosing instead to try and focus on the maps and battle plans before her. "Whatever it is that ails you, you can tell me," he said. "You can trust me."

Ilina glanced briefly at the rest of the Shepherds. Sully looked like she was trying not to fall asleep, but if the way her eyelids would droop every so often was any indication, she was failing miserably. Kellam stood almost protectively by her, ready to wake her up at a moment's notice. Anna was having a spirited discussion – at least on her part – with Panne about something or another. Sumia was ripping petals off of flowers Ilina had brought, and Ilina had to force herself to look away, or risk saying something in opposition. Cordelia was polishing her lance – Ilina didn't know why, since it looked perfect as it was – and occasionally cast surreptitious glances in Chrom's direction. Stahl and Gaius were still eating. Frederick was clearing away people's discarded bowls and utensils, and Lon'qu was off sulking in a corner. Vaike was pestering Miriel for something or another, and Lissa and Maribelle were covering a sleeping Ricken with a blanket. Flavia and Basilio had both fallen asleep entirely, Flavia's head resting on Basilio's shoulder and Basilio's head resting on top of hers. Gregor and Nowi had fallen asleep right by each other, with Nowi hugging Gregor almost possessively.

Ilina sighed. Everyone else was nervous, too; it wasn't just her. "It's not that I'm dueling with unpleasant thoughts… just that I'm dueling with too many at once." She couldn't tell him about how anxious she was, about how there was this small, negative part of her that insisted that the Exalt was doomed and that there was no possible way to save her. The spy had said she was to be executed the following morning, after all. _What if I can't do this? _she wanted to ask, but Chrom was, without a doubt, the wrong person to ask. After all, it was his sister's life that was on the line. She wanted her mother. She wanted Aversa.

_Aversa? Where did _that_ come from?_

She must have said or done something, because Chrom now looked even more concerned. "Ilina?"

"It's—" She sighed harshly before she could finish brushing him off again. "I'm worried about… what we'll find in Plegia." Chrom sucked in a breath, and Ilina squeezed her eyes shut in frustration; of _course_ that was the wrong thing to say. "I mean—"

"I worry, too," he said.

And then, another nagging thought surfaced to her mind. "Chrom? Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"You took Gregor and Nowi in with little argument," Ilina said. "All we know of their pasts and livelihoods is that Gregor is a mercenary who may or may not kill us all at his convenience, and that Nowi is a Manakete who may very well be over a thousand years old."

"Your point being?" Chrom asked.

"Did you ever stop to consider that it was some sort of trap?" Ilina retorted.

Chrom chuckled. "That's what I have Frederick for."

"But—"

"Ilina, if I see someone hurt or in need, I'm going to help them," Chrom said firmly. "Come to think of it, that's why you're here with us."

"Even me!" Ilina snapped. "You found me unconscious in a field near Southtown with no memory of how I ended up unconscious in said field in the first place, and yet you took me in anyway, with only some vague recognition from Lissa."

The corners of Chrom's mouth tightened, his eyes narrowing. "Would you rather I left you alone back then?" Something painful jolted in her chest. He was absolutely right, of course. Without his kindness and generosity, there was no telling where she'd be today. There was no telling whether she would have survived at all, actually. "I'm sorry. That was cruel of me."

Ilina simply shook her head. "It's fine. I… I'm grateful for what you did for me back then. I truly am, but… it scares me all the same. You're too trusting, Chrom!"

Chrom chuckled again. "I wish I had a gold time for every time I got this lecture."

"Just…" Ilina sighed. "Be careful. And tomorrow, you can't trust everything that comes out of the Mad King's mouth. Even if it sounds like he's trying to strike an honest deal, there's no way we can trust him to keep up his end."

Chrom looked mildly irritated. "So you'd rather we not seek compromise at all?"

Ilina _really_ didn't want to fight with him now. Her eyes stung with the beginnings of tears, which only made matters worse. "I'm sorry…"

Chrom's expression softened considerably, though Ilina couldn't be sure that he knew she was on the verge of tears. "It seems that all we can do nowadays is disagree…" He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to him. "I'm sorry. This whole situation is turning me into a monster."

Ilina rested her head against him. "No, it's not. You have every reason to be frustrated and angry."

"But I shouldn't be unleashing all my anger and frustration on you," Chrom retorted. "I don't think I'll ever be able to change, you know. I'll always offer help to anyone who needs it. All I ask is that you watch out for me… inform me when I put my trust in the wrong person."

Ilina nodded. "Yes, of course."

Frederick walked up to them. "Milord," he said sharply. "Has Miss Ilina fallen asleep yet?"

"No, I'm still awake," Ilina said, pulling away from Chrom with no embarrassment. "Is there something you need?"

"The rest of the Shepherds have retired for the night," Frederick said. "I suggest you both do the same."

And Frederick was right – the camp was now almost completely empty. "You should get some rest, Ilina," Chrom advised, gathering her maps and battle plans. "Stressing yourself out with possibilities won't help anyone tomorrow."

"You're right…" Ilina stood and stretched her arms. "Good night…"

* * *

Ilina woke with a start the next morning, tangled in her blanket. Her heart was racing, and she was breathing too quickly. She felt awful. "Ilina? Hey, Ilina!" She pulled the blanket over her head. Her vision was so blurry that it was impossible to focus her eyes on anything at all, even though there was nothing but the blanket to see.

Lissa pried the blanket away from her, pulling it off of her gently. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Ilina sat up gingerly, not bothering to point out that the princess was asking too many questions at once. She pressed a shaking hand to her forehead, trying to make sense of what exactly had happened to her. "Is… that what it was? Y-Yes, it must have been…"

"Should I get Chrom?" Lissa asked slowly.

"N-No," Ilina answered automatically. "It's all right. I'm fine." Her whole body was drenched in sweat, making her clothes cling uncomfortably to her. "So, what brings you here? Was there something you needed?"

"Frederick says it's time to march," Lissa said, sounding uncertain. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't look well at all…"

Ilina loosened the already out of place ponytail she'd slept in and ran her hand through her hair in a vain attempt to comb it. The more she thought about it, the harder it was to remember her dream – but she wasn't about to let a nightmare stop her. The Exalt's life – Chrom's sister's – was on the line, and she owed her life to the Exalt. "I'm fine." She slapped her cheeks twice to wake herself up fully. "Shall we?"

* * *

Exalt Emmeryn stood at the top of a large pillar-like structure, her expression passive, as a Plegian warrior raised an axe threateningly behind her.

Mad King Gangrel cleared his throat, grinning. "Good people! Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome, one and all! We all remember the crimes of Ylisse… Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? Now? Finally, we will have justice!" The crowd below him erupted into cheers. "Executioner! If you would be so kind…"

"Flavia!" Ilina called.

"I'm on it!" the Khan replied as she flung an axe into the air. The axe met its mark, striking down the executioner before his blade could come anywhere near the Exalt.

"They have mages, soldiers, and even a couple wyvern riders," Ilina said. "Everyone! Be on your guard!"

"Take out all the soldiers!" Chrom ordered. "We'll deal with the Mad King later!"

And so, the battle commenced, and two soldiers and a wyvern rider were promptly struck down. And then, far along, striking down a mage – and that mage wasn't using any sort of Anima magic, so just what was going on? – was a woman with long, pale blonde hair. "Everyone!" Chrom yelled. "We have another ally, so please watch out for her!"

And there was that blind trust again. Ilina clenched her fists in frustration, making a mental note to tell him later that just because two people shared a common enemy, they were not necessarily allies.

But then Chrom made his way to the long-haired woman. "You there! Who are you? Why do you fight alone?"

"Good heavens!" the woman exclaimed. "You're prince Chrom, brother to her grace the Exalt!"

"You know me?" Chrom asked.

"Of course, sire! All Ylissean clergy do. I must thank the gods for uniting us! Oh, dearest and most heavenly fa—"

"With all due respect, now is not the time for prayer – it's action that's called for," Chrom cut him off.

"Of course!" the woman said. "We hurried here as soon as we received word of the Exalt's execution!"

"There are more of you?" Chrom asked.

The woman flinched. "Alas, there were. I lost many brave comrades along the way."

"In that case, I would be honored to be joined in battle by such a formidable woman of the cloth," Chrom said with a smile.

"Man, sire. Man of the cloth." Ilina almost screamed. First, spending two whole battles unaware of Kellam's existence, next, entirely mistaking the gender of an ally – what was next? "I am a priest. Well, technically a war monk, if you care to split hairs.

"Oh…" Chrom said slowly. "Yes, well, I'm… I didn't mean to imply… This is rather awkward."

"No, sire," the man said with a smile. "You realized your mistake quickly enough. It could have become much more awkward. That said, my name is Libra."

"Hey, Chrom!" Sully shouted. "Stop chatting, already! Let's get a move on!"

Ilina rushed to Chrom's side. "Libra, is it?" she asked. "Can you fight by Gaius's side?" She pointed to the orange-haired man, who was striking down a soldier as she spoke. "Him."

But Libra stiffened as he stared at her, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You…"

"Please?" Ilina said impatiently. "We can talk later, if that's what you want."

"Yes, of course," Libra said a bit hesitantly as he went to join Gaius.

"There's someone else," Chrom said, pointing to a dark-haired woman clutching a black tome tightly. She simply stood there, giving no heed to all the fighting around her.

"Be on your guard," Ilina whispered.

"You there!" Chrom shouted. "Are you with the Plegians? You seem reluctant to fight.

"Death comes for all of us, eventually," the woman said cryptically. "Why invite it early, fighting for a cause I don't believe in?"

"What?" Chrom said slowly.

"Let's just say I'm keeping my options open," the woman said sharply. "I mean, long live the king and all, but I'd like to keep living as well." Upon seeing Ilina, the woman smirked. "Well, what have we here?"

"You're a mage, right?" Ilina asked. "In that case—"

"A dark mage, to be specific," the woman clarified. "I'm Tharja."

"Tharja…" Ilina repeated. "So I take it you're fighting for us?"

"It could be a ploy to plunge a dagger into your back," Tharja said simply.

"I strongly suspect that if that was your intention, you would have done so already," Ilina retorted. "Now, if you would be so kind, please join Gaius and Libra over there."

With the last of the mages and soldiers disposed of, the battle was finally over. Sumia and Cordelia swooped down on their pegasi. "Ilina!" Sumia called.

"We've dealt with the wyvern riders," Cordelia said. "The skies are clear!"

"I'm giving the signal," Chrom said to Ilina.

Just then, Phila, along with two other pegasus knights, swooped down before them. "Your grace!" Phila called. "Come, we must hurry!"

Ilina sighed in relief. "Thank you, Basilio…"

"What?" Mad King Gangrel spat from a clearing a little off to the side. "Pegasus knights. How did they…? That damned Ylissean tactician does _not_ play fair!"

Aversa chuckled, smirking as she leaned lazily against Gangrel, and Ilina's blood ran cold. "Yes, well, neither do I." She snapped her fingers, and then, about ten Risen appeared around Phila.

This time, Ilina _did_ scream in frustration. "Risen? Oh gods, no!" She turned to the silver-haired woman. "Aversa! Call them off, please!" She'd shouted that on impulse, even though she was well aware that pleading with Aversa like this was useless; she couldn't even imagine what had possessed her to beg to Aversa in the first place anyway.

Gangrel shrieked in laughter. "Oh, did an army of living corpses just appear out of the blue? Truly, the heavens smile upon mighty King Gangrel this day!"

And then the pegasus knights went down quickly in succession. It was only a magnificent stroke of luck that Sumia and Cordelia managed to escape unscathed.

Ilina's vision started to blur. "No, no, no…"

"I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes," Gangrel said with a smirk. "And the Exalt _still_ stands upon that block! I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me…"

"Emm!" Chrom shouted. "Hold on, I'm come—"

"Archers!" Gangrel roared. "If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!"

"Chrom!" Ilina shouted, desperately trying to salvage the situation. The plan had failed spectacularly, but that didn't mean the Exalt couldn't still be saved. Asking Sumia or Cordelia to fly up and bring down the Exalt was out of the question; the archers would shoot them down before they got anywhere close. They could… her mind was working too slowly.

"Just lay down your sword and give me the Fire Emblem," Gangrel said.

"Chrom, no!" Ilina yelled. "You can't trust him!"

"But if I just say no, he'll kill her!" he shouted back.

Perhaps if they distracted the Mad King while someone brought down the Exalt… no, the Risen would be upon them within seconds. And if they went after the Risen, then the Mad King and Aversa would attack them while they were distracted. And if Chrom simply handed over the Fire Emblem, there was no guarantee that Gangrel would keep up his end of the deal.

"I will count to three," the Mad King sneered. "Throw down your weapons, or your Exalt becomes the world's largest quiver. One!"

"Damn it!" Chrom swore.

"Two!"

"Aversa, please…" Ilina begged weakly, but the woman barely even looked in her direction.

"Thr—"

"Gangrel, hold!" Chrom shouted. "You win. Everyone, lay down your—"

"Enough!" Emmeryn yelled. It was the first time Ilina had ever heard the Exalt raise her voice to such a degree, and she sincerely hoped she'd get the chance to hear it again someday. "King Gangrel, is there no hope that you will listen to reason?"

Gangrel sighed irritably. "You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble? I think not."

"No, all I want to hear now is the _thunk_ of arrows, and a _splat_ as you hit the ground. Take one long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people… Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem… now!"

"All right!" Chrom yelled. "Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. _Maybe_ someday we'll face a crisis where _maybe_ the Emblem would've helped… But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their Exalt… and we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

"Chrom…" Emmeryn said softly. "Thank you. I know now what I must do." She smiled faintly. "Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance! Do what you must… as I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

"Emm, no!" Chrom yelled. "No!"

"No…" Ilina raised the staff, hoping it would reach far enough to protect the Exalt. And, sure enough, a faint bluish shield formed around her. Chrom broke into a run.

And then, the Exalt stepped off her pillar, falling to the ground. Ilina barely even heard Chrom and Lissa's screams. "No…" Ilina clutched the staff tightly, willing the shield around the Exalt to strengthen. There was still hope. The Exalt would no doubt be heavily injured, but she would survive, and that was all that mattered.

And then, there was tremendous pain in her side. Ilina dropped to the ground, her staff falling from her hands. "No!" But before she could reach for her staff, Emmeryn had hit the ground. "Gods…" Tears of anger and frustration welled up in her eyes, and the Risen that had attacked her went still.

"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom roared.

"NO!" Lissa screamed.

Gangrel shrieked in laughter. "Well now! How disgustingly noble. And so lovely a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact… and I've seen many fall. So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display!"

"Gangrel…" Chrom practically growled, shaking with rage. "You die today!"

"No, boy!" Basilio shouted from somewhere behind them. "I secured an escape route! We have to flee!"

The pain disappeared from Ilina's side, which meant that Libra or Maribelle or someone must have healed her. She wrapped her arms around herself as the tears continued to fall. _How could I fail so badly?_

"Ilina, come on…" Before Ilina could process what was happening, she was being lifted onto Sumia's pegasus. And as they all escaped, she couldn't stop crying.

* * *

_ANGST AND MORE ANGST!_

_So we're nearing the time skip, and things are coming to a head. I decided to gloss over the whole Gregor/Nowi recruitment thing because… well… it would have been exactly how it was in the game, and you might as well just play the game if you want to see that. And sorry for not posting this sooner. Real life ensued._

_Anyway, for those of you that think Chrom's out of character for snipping at Ilina all the time nowadays… he might be. I might have taken that a little too far, but I'm not sure. Here's my reasoning: typically when you're close to someone, you tend to drop your guard around them. When you open up to someone, you can express your emotions more freely, which is what Chrom's doing here. He's angry and frustrated, and he's taking it out on Ilina, but not because he's mad at her or because he thinks it's her. Ilina's arguably egging him on as well, which doesn't exactly help things._

_Also, I really like Chrom's supports with the male avatar better than his supports with the female one. One of the male supports kind of wormed its way in here, if you didn't notice._

_And now, dear readers, a question (just for fun): not counting the avatar, what's your favorite romance option for Chrom? For me (again, not counting the avatar), it's Olivia. Yeah, Chrom gave Frozen a giant middle finger by marrying someone he just met, but once they are married, they're just so freaking cute together. Also, somehow, Inigo's father/son supports sound a little more legit with Chrom than with anyone else. But I also like pairing Lucina and Inigo just a tiny bit, which complicates things somewhat… (but my favorite Lucina pairing is something else which will be revealed later in this)_

_Anyway, please review!_


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